Uzbekistan not to abandon nonalignment policy - foreign minister
MOSCOW. Dec 8 (Interfax) - Uzbekistan will continue a nonalignment policy under the new president, Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov said at the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Hamburg on Thursday.
"The Republic of Uzbekistan has made a principled and unambiguous choice: not to accede to any military-political blocs or alliances, not to tolerate deployment of any foreign military bases on its territory, not to send soldiers outside the country," Kamilov said.
Maintenance of peace and stability in the Central Asia, turning the region into an area of sustainable development amid the persistent instability in Afghanistan remains the top priority of Uzbekistan's foreign policy, he said.
As reported, Uzbekistan's President-elect Shavkat Mirziyoyev said when speaking at the ceremonial meeting in Tashkent on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the country's current constitution: "We will build on a foreign policy that is open, friendly and pragmatic".
The presidential election was held in Uzbekistan on Sunday. The then acting president Shavkat Mirziyoyev was declared the winner with 88.61% of those who cast ballots voting for him.
The early presidential election was held in Uzbekistan in accordance with the constitution following the death of President Islam Karimov on September 2. Karimov died aged 78 after suffering a stroke.