Uzbekistan is a supporter of peaceful settlement in the Middle East through dialogue

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev will attend an extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh on November 11.

The Arab-Islamic summit, which is being held for the second time, is organized at the initiative of Saudi Arabia. It is planned to exchange views at the highest level, particularly on the solution of the Palestinian problem, the cessation of military action by Israel in Palestine and Lebanon.

The reason for calling the event an Arab-Islamic summit is the joint holding last year of separate summits of the heads of state of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. After that, it was decided to hold summits of the members of the two organizations under the said name.

The event will be preceded by a meeting at the level of foreign ministers. It is planned to consider the agenda of the main event and adopt a Joint Statement.

The history of relations between the peoples of Uzbekistan and Arab countries has deep roots. They are based on close trade relations, common values and traditions, and our sacred religion Islam. The eminent Uzbek thinkers and scholars of the Middle Ages made an invaluable contribution to the development of historical ties between the lands of Maverannahr and Arabia.

Despite modern challenges, both regions continue to be a place of peace, stability and development. At the moment, Arab countries are considered as reliable and long-term partners.

Uzbekistan is interested in strengthening trade and economic, investment, transportation and communication ties with Arab-Muslim countries. In particular, the leader of Uzbekistan stresses the critical importance of introducing a free trade regime with Arab countries, harmonizing technical regulations and developing e-commerce.

The tourism sector is also an important area of mutual relations. Uzbekistan is promoting the creation of a single visa-free tourist space "Gulf Arab States - Central Asia" and modern clusters for tourists, increasing joint tourism products and other proposals.

It is noteworthy that within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Uzbekistan pays special attention to the issue of jointly combating Islamophobia observed in the world. In particular, a number of summits have emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation in combating terrorism, extremism and radicalism, as well as protecting young people from the spread of such threats through the Internet and the media.

In addition, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has advocated peaceful resolution of the conflict in the Middle East and voiced Uzbekistan's position in this regard from the rostrum of the UN General Assembly, at the summits of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Organization of Turkic States and other authoritative global and regional international structures. The head of our state notes with particular concern that the conflict in the Middle East is becoming increasingly tense, the region is becoming a major center of global crisis, as neighboring countries and major powers are being drawn into this problem.

In particular, in his speech at the summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization held in Tashkent on November 9, 2023, the head of our state touched upon acute international and regional problems, including the situation in the Middle East and Afghanistan. He called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip, the start of peace talks and reasonable compromises. A firm position was once again expressed on the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state, confirmed by UN resolutions.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev touched upon this issue in his speech at the plenary session of the BRICS Plus summit held in Kazan on October 24: "No political goals can justify innocent civilian casualties, especially among children. We believe that the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem remains the peaceful settlement of the conflict according to the principle of "two states for two peoples".

Our Head of State also noted that an immediate ceasefire and urgent assistance to the victims are tasks that cannot be postponed.

The Middle East issue also became an important topic of discussion at the regular meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States held in Bishkek on 6 November. In his speech at the summit, the President of Uzbekistan emphasized that global geopolitical processes have become more complicated after the meetings in Astana and Shusha. As already mentioned, the atmosphere of competition and distrust between the leading countries is intensifying, hotbeds of conflicts and military actions are increasing, and various dangers are growing.

"These problems are a serious obstacle to the joint plan and major projects in trade, investment, transportation, energy, agriculture and other areas," said the President of Uzbekistan.

In this sense, the expediency of systematic continuation of dialogue on political and security issues based on common interests of the member countries of the organization, active promotion of unanimous and clear position on international problems was emphasized.

This is primarily about the ongoing unjust war in the Middle East and observed double standards. The unprecedented humanitarian tragedy in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon and the devastating attacks on civilians, especially innocent children, the elderly and women, were noted. In this context, efforts to restrict the activities of the UN Special Agency for Palestine Refugees were condemned.

It was emphasized that the only solution to this protracted conflict is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the basis of the 1967 borders in accordance with international normative documents and resolutions.

The President of Uzbekistan expressed hope that a constructive political solution to this problem will be found at the summit of Arab-Islamic countries to be held in Riyadh.

It should be noted here that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on October 31, 2023 announced the decision to allocate 1.5 million dollars to the UN Relief and Works Agency to provide valuable humanitarian aid to the population of the Gaza Strip.

"We strongly express our solidarity with the Palestinian people and support their right to establish their independent state in accordance with the previously adopted resolutions of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council," the Uzbek leader said. On November 1, 2023, a decision was adopted on "Allocation of humanitarian aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East".

In accordance with the document, the Agency was allocated 1.5 million US dollars to financially support the humanitarian aid activities for the Palestinian people carried out by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

In conclusion, it should be emphasized that the participation of the head of our country in the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit indicates a deep attention to global problems in the world, modern complex processes in international relations, a sense of responsibility for the preservation of peace and tranquility, further development of events, the desire to bring a positive and pragmatic agenda to the solution of problems.