Safoev reveals the position of Uzbekistan on the conflicts in Karabakh

Uzbekistan welcomes Azerbaijan's determination to restore its territorial integrity. The First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, former Foreign Minister Sadiq Safoev, who is in New York to participate in the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, shared this sentiment in an interview with Azerbaijan's "Report" news agency.

According to him, Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan relations are currently experiencing a golden period.

"Today, relations between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are unprecedented in history. Last year, President Ilham Aliyev visited Uzbekistan three times, if I'm not mistaken. This happened for the first time. Today, we are increasingly strengthening political dialogue, mutual understanding, and economic ties. I am very happy that during the last two visits of the President of Uzbekistan to Azerbaijan, a school was opened in the city of Fuzuli, and the first students have already started their education there. I also accompanied the head of state during this visit. On one hand, we saw the cities, villages, and settlements destroyed by Armenia over 30 years, and on the other hand, Karabakh, which was restored by Azerbaijan in a short time. We were very pleased to witness the region's revival," says Sadiq Safoev.

The First Deputy Chairman of the Senate noted that Uzbekistan has always clearly stated its position regarding Azerbaijan's legal struggle.

"We are pleased with the progress Azerbaijan is making in all areas, especially in terms of restoring territorial integrity and justice. We support Azerbaijan in its just struggle and applaud the determination of the government and people of Azerbaijan to restore and protect its territorial integrity despite all the difficulties. I am sure that Azerbaijan will soon turn Karabakh into one of the most heavenly corners of the world, and Shusha will open its arms to welcome guests from all over the world to enjoy its beauty," says Safoev.

For your information, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev paid a state visit to Azerbaijan on August 22-23 of this year and visited the Karabakh region, which was liberated from 30 years of Armenian occupation. The heads of state were in Fuzuli, where they participated in the opening ceremony of the school named after Mirza Ulugbek, built with the support of Uzbekistan.

Let us remind you that earlier, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan announced the start of local anti-terrorist measures in Karabakh "with the aim of restoring the constitutional system of the Republic of Azerbaijan." Baku emphasized that civilians and civilian infrastructure are not targets. Later, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan stated that humanitarian corridors and reception points were created for the evacuation of residents from the dangerous area. Against the backdrop of these events, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a meeting of the Security Council to discuss the situation in the (unrecognized) Nagorno-Karabakh region. After the meeting, Pashinyan announced that Armenia does not plan to participate in military operations in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region. France demanded an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. At the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his support for Azerbaijan's actions in the (unrecognized) Nagorno-Karabakh region.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken spoke by phone with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and called on the parties to come to the negotiating table. As of September 20, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan announced the suspension of anti-terrorist operations under certain conditions.