After the March remarks of former Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, in which he announced Uzbekistan's support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, Uzbekistan began to have economic problems, the leader of Milliy Tiklanish party, Alisher Kadirov told Kun.uz.

He discussed the influence of the Russian media on the public opinion in Uzbekistan, the lack of analytical materials and stories about the military conflict on Uzbek TV channels, as well as the country's “unclear” position on the war in Ukraine. One of the interview guests said that after the speech of the former Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, in which Uzbekistan did not recognize the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics, the country no longer took such a bold position.

“That address to the parliament by Abdulaziz Kamilov was the most daring remarks by Uzbekistan. However, after that speech, a week-long economic crisis began. You know, Uzbekistan's access to the ocean from the north was deliberately paralyzed for a week. We need to talk about this,” Alisher Kadirov said.

Speaking about economic dependence, he noted that Uzbekistan should be careful because of its geographical location.

“If a country does not export, that is, does not enter the world market, there will be no development as such. I think this was done on purpose. And I believe that the turbulent situation in Afghanistan, the impossibility of us using the Afghan corridor is a special, artificially created problem, a conflict,” Alisher Kadirov said.

Uzbekistan still cannot use the Afghan corridor, he noted. As for the Iranian port of Chabahar (the only port in Iran with direct access to the open sea), “after the recent crises, this issue was also closed.”

“These corridors are not open. What do you think, who and why does not open these corridors and regularly support the need for the northern stream? Those who manage this process are not interested in your opinion and the opinion of external information resources changing frequently,” he says.

“Development means overcoming obstacles. We have these obstacles are very large and complex. If we do not overcome these obstacles ourselves, no one else will do it for us. It is very difficult,” said the vice speaker of the Legislative Chamber.

Abdulaziz Kamilov at a Senate meeting on March 17 stated that Uzbekistan recognized the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. He also stressed that the country did not recognize the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics.

12 days later, it was reported that Kamilov “was treated in Tashkent due to a chronic illness” and then “received treatment abroad.”

On April 27, the diplomat was relieved of his post, which he had held for 12 years. Then he was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Security Council under the President, and later - at the same time as Special Representative of the Head of State for Foreign Policy.

It is worth noting that on June 17, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, speaking at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, called the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR quasi-state territories and stated that Kazakhstan did not recognize them. After that, a Russian court ruled to suspend the operation of the gas pipeline for 30 days, allegedly due to environmental violations. A few days later, the court noted its decision, but Kazakhstan has already reacted. On July 7, President Tokayev instructed oil companies to develop new shipping routes.