2020, considered as one of the longest years in history, was indeed a very difficult year for the whole world. The multidimensional crises-developments, especially Covid-19, once again showed that strong cooperation within and around the countries is inevitable. Otherwise, it would not be easy to confront the waves of crisis that are expected to be more intense in the next period.
Uzbekistan, one of the states that foresaw this reality with its experience of thousands of years and strong civilization, has decisively continued its reconstruction policy based on center-periphery relations in 2020 as well.
In this regard, the “Great Movement”, in more concrete terms, the “New Uzbekistan” process, which was initiated under the leadership of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who was elected as the President at the end of 2016, continued its reform efforts, without compromising its goal of focusing on people in spite of the crisis in the world, in the fields of “law,” “economy,” “politics,” “society,” and “the foreign policy” in 2020.
In fact, President Mirziyoyev who is the architect of the transformation process, stated that significant progress has been made in liberal economic policies and democratization points and the multidimensional reform process will be carried out in 2021 as planned as well as the economy of the country continued growing despite Covid-19 in his speech at the Palace of International Forums where he discussed the year of 2020 on 29 December.
Mirziyoyev: “Today’s Uzbekistan is not the same as yesterday’s!”
One of the most significant points in President Mirziyoyev’s speech was his emphasis on further strengthening the relations between the state (center) and the nation (periphery).
“No matter how difficult and complicated, we will never abandon the path of democratic reform. We will just move forward and accomplish this. Because our people today are not yesterday’s people. Today’s Uzbekistan is not the same as yesterday,” said Mirziyoyev and called for the representatives of the nation to speak with the common people, to be concerned with their troubles and to be happy with their joys in this new process, which brought “trust” and “strong unity” to the fore in center-periphery relations.
In a sense, this emerges as an issue equivalent to “the return of the Spirit of Amir Timur…”
President Mirziyoyev, who said, “The members of the parliamant will see the problem of the people on the spot and will express it,” also proposed that 2021 be declared as the year of “Supporting Active Youth and Strengthening Public Health” for young people, who are the assurance of the future of Uzbekistan “
Three Main Goals: “Good Neighborhood”, “Partnership”, “Strategic Cooperation.”
Undoubtedly, the “Movement of Great Change” in Uzbekistan is not limited to only within the country. The initiative process in foreign policy is also rapidly making Tashkent to become one of the important capitals of the region and the world in 2020. In this context, the good neighbourly relations that Uzbekistan, which is considered as one of the important routes of the “Modern Silk Road” (Belt Road) and one of the heartland countries of Eurasia, has started to gain a depth and breadth based on regional stability and cooperation.
The fact that President Mirziyoyev stated that they will prioritize the development of “good neighbourly relations,” “partnership” and “strategic cooperation” with the Central Asian states in foreign policy, and pointed to taking part in the formation of “Afghanistan New Peace Process” and “New Asia-Pacific” as concrete cooperation areas are very important.
Within this scope, the fact that a high-level meeting that envisages the cooperation between Central Asian and South Asian countries will be held in 2021 in Tashkent, it is very remarkable as it shows that this is now taking action rather than a wish / rhetoric.
With this active and constructive foreign policy, President Mirziyoyev says that thoughts, projects, even agreements should not remain on paper, “now is the time for action.”
He probably also sees that the waves of crisis in the world are rapidly shifting from “North Africa-Mediterranean-Middle East” to the depths of Asia, and in this context, he has brought up a strategy to turn potential crisis regions from a threat-risk area to an address of cooperation.
You can call this “the return of the historical reflex…”
Construction of “Peace Corridor” from Central Asia to the Indian Ocean…
The uncertainty in the post-deal process between the USA and the Taliban after February 2020 still continues. Likewise, the tensions between Pakistan and India, which left their mark on 2020, are ultimately worrying Uzbekistan, a partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The line extending from Central Asia to South Asia, Afghanistan is a complete “cockpit” and once again the indispensable address of “the New Great Game.” Therefore, in a sense, the epicenter of regional geopolitical earthquakes.
With the new US President Biden, it is undeniable that the waters of the Indian Ocean will get warmer simultaneously with the Pacific waters. Aerial dogfights (reminding the incident between Sino-Russian warplanes and South Korean-Japanese warplanes in the last days of 2020) are just one of the small flares of this. (as a reminder of the incident between Sino-Russian warplanes and South Korean-Japanese warplanes in the last days of 2020) are just one of the small flares of this. The increasing accumulation of Western navies in the Indo-Pacific corridor is of course accepted as an indication that the competition-power struggle in the side-lines will shift into Asia.
In such a conjuncture, Tashkent tries to pursue a “peace diplomacy”, “preventive crisis diplomacy” in order to establish cooperation in the region, strength and reinforce the existing ones.
In this respect, “we took the first constructive steps toward the establishment of the Trans-Afghan transport corridor connecting Central Asia with the Indian Ocean. The realization of this project will ensure stability and economic development in the whole region.” President Mirziyoyev’s statement that they will continue to maintain peace in neighbouring Afghanistan draws attention to a regional initiative.
Crowning this process with the “Taj Mahal Process” initiated between Pakistan and India before September 11, 2001, is among the foreign policy goals of Tashkent, which has strong historical relations with the region.
“New Uzbekistan” and “Powerful Turkish-Islamic World…”
“Movement of Great Change”, which is summarized as “developing the state building and judicial system, liberalizing the economy, rapid development of social areas and conducting active foreign policy,” undoubtedly aims to make Uzbekistan and its immediate surroundings, in the ocean of crises we are in, an “island of peace wealth” with “stability,” “safety” and “prosperity.”
Therefore, instead of a selfish “nation-state” understanding that thinks only of itself, once again we witness the stance of a strong civilization that embraces the whole geography and whose roots date back millennia.
The success of the “New Uzbekistan” movement/march is very important in an environment where geography is experiencing a great return to its historical codes, because a strong Uzbekistan is equivalent to a powerful Central Asian-Turkish world.
Uzbekistan’s membership in the Turkic Council in 2020 is of even greater importance at this point.
Therefore, the construction process of “New Uzbekistan” has a very important place in terms of the future of the Turkish-Islamic world.
Therefore, the construction process of “New Uzbekistan” has a very important place in terms of the future of the Turkish-Islamic world. The support to be given by the powers of the whole world, especially the regional states, to this visionary perspective, which aims to transform Central Asia from a competition-struggle area of “the New Great Game” into a cooperation, is undoubtedly very significant.
Once again, Uzbekistan is the security insurance of the region.
The construction process of “New Uzbekistan” and the “movement of great change” will continue in 2021 with the support of the Uzbek people and the strong-visionary leadership of President Mirziyoyev, who assumed this understanding of historical responsibility. There is no doubt about it!
