According to the President of Belarus, in Central Asia, there may be a fight for the dominance of two centers of power: the US-EU and China
Source: Asia Plus, Tajikistan
“Uzbekistan was also shaken. And today they are already saying that foreigners have put their hand there,” said President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, speaking about the situation in Karakalpakstan, BelTA writes.
“Look at how you looked into the water, today there is a struggle not only for our post-Soviet space, the European part. Today, a struggle has unfolded for Central Asia, where our Soviet republics are. You remember, after Kazakhstan, I said: “Uzbekistan will be next, guys, look, don't miss it." We brought many facts to the Uzbeks. They even somehow took offense at me when I said this at one of the summits. And what happened? The Qaraqalpaq Republic, about half of Uzbekistan, supposedly there is something wrong with the Constitution so they reflected, that they will have a constitutional referendum. So it has risen. No, Uzbekistan was shaken. And today they are already saying that foreigners had a hand in it," the President of Belarus said.
According to him, destructive forces will not lag behind Kazakhstan either, the situation there is very difficult.
Lukashenko believes that in the near future in Central Asia there may be a struggle for dominance between two centers of power: the United States and the European Union on the one hand and China on the other.
"Central Asia, like us, found itself between two fires. On the one hand, the Europeans, the Americans, and on the other hand, China, which greatly helps Central Asia to survive and stand. And this fight will be in Central Asia. Look in the near future. The symptoms of this have already appeared,” Lukashenka said.
Earlier, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev blamed the riots that took place on July 1 and 2 in Nuqus, the administrative center of the Republic of Qaraqalpaqistan, on "hostile forces."
He made the corresponding statement, speaking on July 3 to the deputies of the Jokargy Kenes (parliament) of Qaraqalpaqistan, the presidential press secretary said on his Telegram channel.
"Despite the conditions created for the free expression of the opinion and will of citizens on the basis of democratic principles and legal norms, some hostile forces, under the pretext of dissatisfaction with constitutional reforms, choose the path of aggression and violence and try to destabilize the situation in Uzbekistan," Mirziyoyev said.
According to him, "using proven technologies for the dissemination of fake information, the possibilities of social networks, destructive forces pursue a clear goal and attract citizens to unconstitutional activities."
Mass protests in Qaraqalpaqistan began in late June after the draft amendments to the constitution of Uzbekistan were made public. The new version of the constitution proposed removing the word “sovereign” from the description of the status of the Karakalpak Republic, as well as removing the mention of the right of the republic to secede from Uzbekistan.
On July 1, thousands of protesters took to the streets of Nuqus, the capital of Qaraqalpaqistan, and other cities. Mirziyoev flew to Nukus twice. On July 2, he declared a state of emergency in Qaraqalpaqistan. Additional forces of the Uzbek National Guard were brought into the republic, and mobile communications and the Internet were limited.
Sangar: Uzbekistan's Prosecutor General's Office reported that riots in the city of Nuqus, the capital of the autonomous republic of Qaraqalpaqistan, left 18 people dead and 243 people, including 38 police officers, injured.
Qaraqalpaqistan occupies 38% of the territory of Uzbekistan and has a population of about 2 million people.
