Armenia–Uzbekistan relations

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Armenia–Uzbekistan relations
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Armenia
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Uzbekistan

Armenia and Uzbekistan enjoy relatively strong relations, which is sometimes viewed to be among the wealthiest relationships between Armenia and a Turkic state. Both embassies of the two nations are accredited in Moscow.

Contents

History

Armenians have a long presence in Central Asia since antiquity, in which Armenians, mostly traders, established trade and economic links with the Turks of Central Asia. [1] It would have continued with little interruption, despite Armenia falling into the hands of the Byzantine Empire, Safavid dynasty [2] and to the later Russian Empire, although it declined in the 19th century.

Armenian and Russian research materials indicate that in 1890 more than 4,000 Armenians lived in Central Asia, many in what is today's Uzbekistan and its neighboring countries. This figure climbed to 5,000 in 1897 and to more than 25,000 in 1917, according to the same sources. The main Armenian communities were in the Uzbek cities of Bukhara, Khiva, Andijan, Kokand and Tashkent.[ citation needed ]

Armenian immigrants moved in large number to the Central Asian region, especially during the World War I which occurred the Armenian genocide. As part of Tsarist Russia and later Soviet Union, ethnic Armenians were trusted to ongoing immigration to the region, and Armenian immigration also met with little resistance from local Uzbeks. [3] Uzbeks and Armenians were able to get along well until the rise of ethnic nationalism at 1990s that saw clashes between Armenians and Muslim peoples, mainly Tajiks but also a minority of Uzbeks, which ended deadly. [4]

However, with the erupt of Tajikistani Civil War, newly independent Uzbekistan tolerated and encouraged Armenians fighting against Tajik-backed forces in the war, mostly Islamists. Consequently, Uzbekistan had its own Armenian militias fighting on the side of Tashkent, and for its efforts, soon became recognized among Uzbek citizens. [5]

Today

Owned by this closeness, Armenia and Uzbekistan established official tie following the fall of USSR. This close relations was followed by Uzbekistan's embracing Armenian ethnic minority within the country, with its Armenian minority holds annual festivals in the country. [6] Uzbekistan is home to the largest and oldest Armenian community in Central Asia. Between 40,000 and 70,000 Armenians live there at present. [7] There are several Armenian Churches in Uzbekistan, both are well-perceived by the host nation. [8] [9]

On 11 October 2019, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met for first-ever official negotiations between the two countries. An Armenian government statement subsequently said that Mirziyoyev and Pashinian agreed to expand relations between their nations. In that regard, Mirziyoyev proposed the creation of an Uzbek-Armenian intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation. [7]

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

In 2018, Uzbekistan's ambassador to Azerbaijan told that Uzbekistan under Islam Karimov had refused to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia until a final settlement of the conflict and has always consistently supported Azerbaijan on international arena. [10]

In 2020, Turkic Council, Uzbekistan as member state, condemned the 2020 Ganja missile attacks. [11]

Resident diplomatic missions

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Asia</span> Subregion in Asia

Central Asia is a subregion of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the southwest and Eastern Europe in the northwest to Western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Central Asian nations are colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as the countries all have names ending with the Persian suffix "-stan", meaning "land of".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uzbekistan</span> Country in Central Asia

Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan, is a country located in Central Asia. It is surrounded by five countries: Kazakhstan to the north; Kyrgyzstan to the northeast; Tajikistan to the southeast; Afghanistan to the south; and Turkmenistan to the southwest. Uzbekistan is part of the Turkic world, as well as a member of the Organization of Turkic States. Uzbek is the majority language, while Russian is widely spoken and understood. Islam is the predominant religion, most Uzbeks being Sunni Muslims.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Uzbekistan</span>

Uzbekistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia. It is itself surrounded by five landlocked countries: Kazakhstan to the north; Kyrgyzstan to the northeast; Tajikistan to the southeast; Afghanistan to the south, Turkmenistan to the south-west. Its capital and largest city is Tashkent. Uzbekistan is part of the Turkic languages world, as well as a member of the Organization of Turkic States. While the Uzbek language is the majority spoken language in Uzbekistan, Russian is widely used as an inter-ethnic tongue and in government. Islam is the majority religion in Uzbekistan, most Uzbeks being non-denominational Muslims. In ancient times it largely overlapped with the region known as Sogdia, and also with Bactria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Uzbekistan</span>

Demographic features of the population of Uzbekistan include population growth, population density, ethnicity, education level, health, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population. The nationality of a person from Uzbekistan is Uzbekistani, while the ethnic Uzbek majority call themselves Uzbeks. Much of the data is estimated because the last census was carried out in Soviet times in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of Uzbekistan</span> Overview of the foreign relations of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan joined the Commonwealth of Independent States in December 1991. However, it is opposed to reintegration and withdrew from the CIS collective security arrangement in 1999. Since that time, Uzbekistan has participated in the CIS peacekeeping force in Tajikistan and in United Nations-organized groups to help solve the Tajik and Afghan conflicts, both of which it sees as posing threats to its own stability. Uzbekistan is an active supporter of U.S. efforts against worldwide terrorism and joined the coalitions which have dealt with both Afghanistan and Iraq. It is a member of the United Nations, the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Partnership for Peace, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It belongs to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Economic Cooperation Organization, which comprises 7 Central Asian countries: Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. It is a founding member of and remains involved in the Central Asian Union, formed with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, joined in March 1998 by Tajikistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tajiks</span> Iranian ethnic group native to Central Asia

Tajiks are a Persian-speaking Iranian ethnic group native to Central Asia, living primarily in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Tajiks are the largest ethnicity in Tajikistan, and the second-largest in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. They speak varieties of Persian, a Western Iranian language. In Tajikistan, since the 1939 Soviet census, its small Pamiri and Yaghnobi ethnic groups are included as Tajiks. In China, the term is used to refer to its Pamiri ethnic groups, the Tajiks of Xinjiang, who speak the Eastern Iranian Pamiri languages. In Afghanistan, the Pamiris are counted as a separate ethnic group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samarkand</span> City in southeastern Uzbekistan

Samarqand or Samarkand is a city in southeastern Uzbekistan and among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia. Samarqand is the capital of Samarqand Region and a district-level city, that includes the urban-type settlements Kimyogarlar, Farhod and Khishrav. With 551,700 inhabitants (2021), it is the second-largest city of Uzbekistan. Most of the inhabitants of the city are native speakers of the Tajik dialect of the Persian language, although Uzbek is spoken as a second language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collective Security Treaty Organization</span> Military alliance of six post-Soviet states

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is an intergovernmental military alliance in Eurasia consisting of six post-Soviet states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan, formed in 2002. The Collective Security Treaty has its origins in the Soviet Armed Forces, which was replaced in 1992 by the United Armed Forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and was then itself replaced by the successor armed forces of the respective independent states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sart</span> Historical term for settled inhabitants of Central Asia

Sart is a name for the settled inhabitants of Central Asia which has had shifting meanings over the centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soviet Central Asia</span> Section of Central Asia formerly controlled by the Soviet Union

Soviet Central Asia was the part of Central Asia administered by the Soviet Union between 1918 and 1991, when the Central Asian republics declared independence. It is nearly synonymous with Russian Turkestan in the Russian Empire. Soviet Central Asia went through many territorial divisions before the current borders were created in the 1920s and 1930s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Asian Union</span> Intergovernmental organisation for economic integration

The Central Asian Union (CAU), later called the Central Asian Economic Union, was an intergovernmental organisation for economic integration between the Central Asian post-Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan between 1994 and 2004. Tajikistan joined the Union in 1996 as an observer. Several proposals to restore the Union have been put forward since its dissolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan relations</span> Bilateral relations

Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan relations refers to the bilateral diplomatic relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. Uzbekistan dominates southern Kyrgyzstan both economically and politically, based on the large Uzbek population in that region of Kyrgyzstan and on economic and geographic conditions. Much of Kyrgyzstan depends entirely on Uzbekistan for natural gas; on several occasions, former president of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov has achieved political ends by shutting pipelines or by adjusting terms of delivery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan relations</span> Bilateral relations

Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan relations refers to the relations between the neighbouring Republic of Kazakhstan and Republic of Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan has an Embassy in Tashkent and a Consulate General in Samarkand. Uzbekistan has an Embassy in Astana and have Consulates General in Almaty and Aktau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tajikistan–Uzbekistan relations</span> Bilateral relations

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkmenistan–Uzbekistan relations</span> Bilateral relations

The Republic of Uzbekistan has an embassy in Ashgabat. Turkmenistan has an embassy in Tashkent. Both countries were previously subordinated republics of the Soviet Union as Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic and Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic before its collapse in 1991.

Turks in Uzbekistan are ethnic Turks who live in Uzbekistan.

Armenians in Central Asian states: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, were mainly settled there during the Soviet era for various reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tajikistan–Uzbekistan border</span> International border

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Korea–Uzbekistan relations</span> Diplomatic relations between South Korea and the Republic of Uzbekistan

South Korea-Uzbekistan relations are the international relations between South Korea and Uzbekistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrei Kubatin</span> Uzbek archaeologist, Turkologist and historian. Political prisoners in Uzbekistan.

Andrei Viktorovich Kubatin, Russian Андрей Викторович Кубатин, was an Uzbek archaeologist, Turkologist and historian.

References

  1. "ARMENIANS IN CENTRAL ASIA Uzbekistan". Agbu.org. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  2. Studies, Cambridge Journal of Eurasian. "Cambridge Journal of Eurasian Studies". Cambridge Journal of Eurasian Studies. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  3. Weeks, Theodore R. (24 June 2011). Across the Revolutionary Divide: Russia and the USSR, 1861-1945. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN   9781444351606 . Retrieved 28 March 2019 via Google Books.
  4. "MOSLEMS, ETHNIC ARMENIANS CLASH IN SOVIET CENTRAL ASIA". DeseretNews.com. 17 February 1990. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  5. Epkenhans, Tim (26 October 2016). The Origins of the Civil War in Tajikistan: Nationalism, Islamism, and Violent Conflict in Post-Soviet Space. Lexington Books. ISBN   9781498532792 . Retrieved 28 March 2019 via Google Books.
  6. "Daily activities of the Armenian community of Uzbekistan". Hayern Aysor. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  7. 1 2 "Armenian, Uzbek Leaders In 'Historic' Talks". Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  8. Saakov, Georgiy (8 April 2013). "Armenian Church in Uzbekistan Celebrates Annunciation, Easter (Photos)". The Armenian Weekly. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  9. "Armenian community of Uzbekistan celebrates Armenians' victories in May". Hayern Aysor. 20 May 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  10. "Uzbekistan supports Azerbaijan's position on Karabakh conflict: envoy". AzerNews.az. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  11. "Turkic Council condemns Armenia's attack on Azerbaijan". Anadolu Agency. 17 October 2020.