Uzbekistan will not join any military structures and remains an observer state in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Akmal Saidov, the first deputy speaker of the Legislative Chamber announced at the opening of the International Partnership Initiatives Week held in Tashkent.
Saidov gave a negative answer to the Fergana.media reporter's question whether Uzbekistan would agree to limit its sovereignty in order to cooperate closely with other countries.
"The first article of our constitution states that Uzbekistan is a sovereign state. If we are talking about joining any paramilitary defense structures and organizations, then no, we will not allow it. We will never send our men [overseas] to do military missions, including peacekeeping missions. There will be no foreign military bases in our territory," said the vice-speaker.
As for integration into the Eurasian Economic Union, the status of an observer state for Uzbekistan in this organization is more suitable, said Saidov.
"I am the head of the parliamentary commission to study the possibilities of Uzbekistan's joining the EAEU. "We have carefully studied more than a thousand different documents of this organization and today we came to the conclusion that Uzbekistan is interested in maintaining the observer status in the EAEU," he said.
According to Saidov, Kazakhstan has received very little benefit from joining the EAEU. Uzbekistan's main principles of foreign policy course are strengthened in the new version of the Constitution and are strictly followed.
EAEU was founded in 2001, and its members are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. Moldova and Cuba, as well as in December 2020, Uzbekistan received the status of an observer state.
