The response of Western countries to the “Palestinian tragedy” is deeply disturbing and demonstrates double standards. President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev made this statement during a media briefing on 6 June in Ankara.
The head of state said that he and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had a comprehensive discussion on the most pressing regional matters. He noted the bloody events that have been persisting in the Gaza Strip for eight months, resulting in the deaths of about 40,000 civilians, including children and the elderly.
“We are deeply concerned about the reaction of the international community, including Western countries, to this tragedy. Double standards are observed in practice. Leading developed countries that extensively advocate for democracy and human rights, and stand in their defense are turning a blind eye to these murders and atrocities,” Shavkat Mirziyoyev shared.
“Of course, there must be a total halt of violence and the initiation of the peace-building process. The tragedy of Gaza is a sorrowful consequence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that still remains unresolved. It is necessary to establish an independent and free Palestinian state to achieve a stable and long-term peace,” he said.
The president of Uzbekistan called the Palestinian issue “the root of the entire Middle East problem”. He said Uzbekistan fully supports Recep Erdoğan's initiatives on this pressing matter.
“We will continue to cooperate in the work we are doing to widely promote the true humanitarian essence of our holy religion… His Excellency Mr. Erdoğan's firm stance addressing any negative actions against the religion of Islam deserves special respect and recognition. We have agreed to jointly respond to various attacks and pressures of evil forces against our religion in a challenging situation,” he emphasized.
- In October 2023, Shavkat Mirziyoyev expressed Uzbekistan’s solidarity with the Palestinian people, and support of their right to establish their own independent state in accordance with the adopted resolutions.
- At the summit of the Organization of Turkic States in November, he mentioned the only and most just solution to the problem should be based on the principle of “two states for two peoples”.
- In the same month, the president signed a decree allocating $1.5 million to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to help Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip.
- In April, the US vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution on Palestine’s full membership in the UN. Palestine is now represented at the UN as an observer state.
- Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, and other countries havшавкe officially recognized Palestine as a state. The Swiss parliament voted against recognizing Palestine.
