Presidential Foreign Policy Advisor Abdulaziz Kamilov spoke to the Uzbekistan 24 TV channel about the reasons behind Uzbekistan's joining the Board of Peace and its national interests in this initiative.
According to him, the decision was made primarily based on security considerations, but also because the Board's objectives align with Uzbekistan's foreign policy priorities.
"The Economic Forum's agenda includes many political issues. One of them is the military-economic crisis in the Gaza Strip and the search for solutions. This was precisely the goal set, and Donald Trump recently proposed the creation of a Board of Peace. The main objective of this Board is, first and foremost, resolving the crisis in Gaza," Kamilov stated.
Responding to a question about why Uzbekistan supported the initiative, Kamilov underscored that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev accepted US President Donald Trump's proposal because it is in the national interest.
"The question arises: why did we support this initiative in the first place? From a security perspective, we certainly have our own interests, to begin with." "Furthermore, the Board's objectives and goals are fully consistent with and aligned with the fundamental principles of our foreign policy course. Additionally, we truly have significant, vital interests in this region," he said.
According to him, Uzbekistan's vital interests are linked to ensuring regional, global, and national security.
He emphasized that Uzbekistan was looking at what is happening in the Middle East, in part because of the risks associated with extremism.
"Some of Uzbek nationals joined extremist movements, organizations, and groups in the region, and then, upon returning to the country, tried to cause problems. But the authorities facilitated their return and created conditions for their social reintegration and a new start," Kamilov underscored.
According to him, this approach has been highly praised by the United Nations.
"This humanistic approach has been highly praised by the UN leadership, and, according to them, our president's policies can serve as an example for the entire world." Therefore, we can say that Uzbekistan has interests in this region, along with other states, and the most important of these is ensuring its own security,” he stated.
Kamilov also linked the situation in the Middle East with security in neighboring Afghanistan.
“If you take our neighbor Afghanistan, there were no extremist or terrorist organizations there before the attacks. But after the war began, where did such groups come from? They came from the Middle East,” he said.
According to him, the joint participation of the international community is necessary to resolve the situation.
“To address this issue, the entire international community must unite and act together—not only the United States, Arab and Muslim countries, but also the Central Asian states. If we achieve peace and stability in a thoughtful, step-by-step manner, this will be a very important achievement,” Kamilov emphasized.
The advisor separately underscored the symbolic significance of Uzbekistan’s participation in the summit.
“First of all, this is a very important political event.” "Secondly, it is an expression of trust, respect, and recognition of Uzbekistan as a serious player on the international stage," he stated.
As a reminder, on January 22, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed an agreement establishing a Board of Peace with US President Donald Trump. The ceremony took place in Davos as part of the World Economic Forum, with the participation of representatives from countries in the Middle East and South America, as well as several countries in Europe and the South Caucasus.
