Uzbekistan, 1992

Let me

most cordially join in congratulating the President of the General Assembly at

its forty-seventh session.

For the first time, the delegation of the Republic of Uzbekistan is

taking part in the work of the United Nations General Assembly as an

independent State. It is an honour for us to express our sincere gratitude to

all State Members of the United Nations for the support and cooperation they

have given the young independent Republic of Uzbekistan.

We are very grateful to Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, for his

constant attention to our region. The decision to open at Tashkent an office

representing the United Nations and a number of its specialized organizations

is clear evidence of that attention. This approach arises from the main

orientation of United Nations activities at the present time, which were

formulated in concentrated form by the Secretary-General in his report "An

Agenda for Peace" (A/47/277).

Recently the people of Uzbekistan solemnly marked the first anniversary

of its independence. The fact that now we have begun building an independent

State is the logical result of the constant and selfless struggle for

independence waged over the centuries by our people and its best sons.

Achieving independence has never been easy anywhere in the world. For

that reason our year of independence is only the beginning of a long process.

We are laying the groundwork for an independent Uzbek State.

We have saved our language, religion, traditions, customs and moral

principles from the danger of complete disappearance; we are fully

reincarnating our national values. Our natural resources, together with the

economic, scientific, technical and moral potential built up by the labour of

previous generations, can serve as a guarantee for the social and economic

development of independent Uzbekistan.

To turn this potential into a real force, our Republic, under the

leadership of President Islam Karimov, is working out an appropriate system;

is looking for the best structure of governmental administration and for

ways to develop the economy and to construct its foreign and domestic

policies. Measures are being taken for the social protection of the

population against the shocks that are inevitable in the transition to a

market economy, to a society which is new to us.

In the process of building an independent State, we are utilizing the

positive experience accumulated by other developed nations and based on

openness and market relations. Of course, in so doing we are taking into

consideration, first and foremost, the specific features and concrete

circumstances of our country and the national and cultural traditions of the

people who live there.

We seek to create a social and political structure under which the

principles of human rights and freedom will be strictly observed. Our State

policy is designed to protect the interests and rights of all peoples,

irrespective of their nationalities, religion or beliefs, to preserve and

develop their cultures, languages, national traditions and customs and to

involve them actively in State and public life.

We have firmly rejected the domination of any one ideology or any one

world view; in fact, we are establishing a multiparty system as an essential

and logical element of genuine democracy.

At the same time, we are outlawing those forces and movements that

attempt through blackmail, threats and violence to change the structure of the

State, that endanger the territorial integrity and security of our Republic,

that sow ethnic and religious dissension, that encroach on the constitutional

system and the moral foundations of our people's life. We require the

activities of all forces and movements to remain within the limits of the law.

In our economic policy, we reject the structure based on the command

administration system, which is highly centralized and distributive. We

completely reject ideology. Equal rights apply to all types of property.

Of course, there are difficulties being encountered in carrying out our

political and economic programmes. This is something we all recognize.

Today our people is going through a difficult period of transition. This

is due to the fact that for many years our republic was the victim of a policy

of repression and diktat, resulting in a dependent economy and making our

region a raw-materials appendage.

It is not easy to rescue our people from the consequences of the

totalitarian hegemony of communist ideas. Certainly, a new and just society

cannot be created in a day, or even in a year. We understand all this clearly.

The most important thing is that, on the basis of inter-ethnic accord and

unity among our citizens, we have established a stable social and political

situation in our country.

The peoples of our region. Central Asia - Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Turkmans,

Kyrgyzes and Tajiks - are the children of common forefathers. We share the

same land and water, the same religion, the same history and the same fate; we

share the same cares, joys and anxieties. Historically, we have always been

naturally connected and interdependent. We created our common history through

cooperation. Many of our internal problems are evolving; they could easily

become inter-ethnic or international problems, affecting the interests of the

peoples of our region. This is what is special about the general situation

and the international position of Uzbekistan and of Central Asia as a whole.

At present the Government and the people of Uzbekistan are deeply

concerned about the course of events in Tajikistan, which is on the brink of

civil war. The serious international danger is that armed clashes between the

opposing forces, which have claimed thousands of lives among the peaceful

population, could easily spread to neighbouring Central Asian States.

In the Central Asian region, with its dense population of over

50 million, such an armed conflict could have unpredictable consequences.

Should the conflict spread, the peoples of Central Asia could be involved in

an endless fratricidal war, which could ultimately destroy the freedom and

independence they have recently won. That is why the current situation is

dangerous for us. We have every reason to be concerned.

In practice, the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan, where there

are hundreds of thousands of men under arms, remains open. The actions of

extremists and fanatical armed groups incited by those who are playing on

people's national and religious feelings could have unpredictable consequences.

Uzbekistan strongly opposes interference in the internal affairs of

independent Tajikistan and is against stirring up the fire of war. Uzbekistan

advocates preventing the spread of the armed conflict and finding a solution

as quickly as possible by peaceful and civilized means.

Uzbekistan supports the appeal of the Government of Tajikistan to the

United Nations to provide assistance in finding a solution to the grave

crisis, which could become international in scope. Uzbekistan regards as

decisive in the present circumstances the role of the United Nations and the

Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Fully aware of the danger

of the situation, and in a spirit of humanity, and, at the same time, of

responsibility for the fate of our peoples, Uzbekistan has requested

Secretary-General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, to examine the situation and inform

the Security Council, and various United Nations committees and commissions,

of our concern.

The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, in his letter

addressed to Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali, stressed that only timely and

effective assistance by the international community can be decisive in

supporting the process of democratization and the political and economic

reforms under way in the new independent States of the region.

In proposing this initiative, Uzbekistan proceeds from the concept that

the predominant idea of the new international order should be the prevention

of aggression and conflicts and the establishment of democratic machinery for

making such an order a reality. That concept was convincingly expounded as

preventive diplomacy by Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali. In our view

the guarantee for such preventive action can be found in cooperation in the

broad sense of the term.

I think that what I have said is sufficient for an understanding of the

need to create a United Nations Eastern Centre in our region with the aim of

extending the principles of the world community and international norms to the

central part of the Eurasian continent. I believe that Tashkent, as a

historic centre of that region, with its rich past and its modern experience

in peacemaking activities, would be fully worthy of the honour of serving as

the seat of the Eastern Centre. That would provide the world community with

reliable information on the processes of social development in the region,

expedite the solution of its problems and make it a zone free of conflicts.

In our view, that is the main goal of the United Nations and the new

world order.