Uzbekistan Local Politics - The Times Of Central Asia

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Domestic Development

Central Asia and Regional Integration: Logistics, Water, Energy

Central Asia is undergoing a profound transformation, where questions of domestic development and the region’s ability to act in a coordinated way are coming to the forefront. For many years, Central Asian states were viewed as fragmented, each pursuing separate strategies that often put them in competition. Today, however, shared challenges and growing interdependence are making gradual convergence increasingly likely. The region now confronts common pressures such as water scarcity, energy imbalances, environmental degradation, and the fallout of instability in Afghanistan -- issues that no single country can effectively address in isolation. Increasingly, regional platforms such as the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (ICWC) are being leveraged to mediate water-energy tradeoffs, while joint initiatives in transport, transit, and energy infrastructure foster new integration. Moreover, leading actors like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are pushing coordinated strategies -- modernizing rail and aviation links, coordinating transboundary water allocations, and exploring nuclear cooperation -- that point toward a more interconnected regional future. Shared Challenges and Points of Convergence The region faces problems that no country can solve alone. These include water shortages, energy imbalances, environmental risks, and instability in Afghanistan. Such challenges can be seen as both threats and opportunities, since they also represent areas of overlapping interest. Joint action in these fields can deliver more than fragmented national strategies. Water is particularly important, remaining one of the most sensitive issues in interstate relations. Yet it also offers opportunities for coordinated action through existing regional platforms, such as the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination of Central Asia. The “water for energy” model is increasingly seen as a practical tool, already under discussion and applied in bilateral and multilateral projects. Environmental issues are similarly shared. The disappearance of the Aral Sea, land degradation, air pollution, and glacier melt create threats that transcend national borders. Joint monitoring, data exchange, and coordinated adaptation measures, particularly within the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan, opened in August 2025 in Almaty, could become a new direction for regional cooperation. Afghanistan remains another risk factor that affects the security of the entire region. At the same time, transportation and energy projects linking Central Asia with South Asia through Afghan territory can turn a challenge into an opportunity. Reducing instability and integrating Afghanistan into regional trade and transit networks serves the interests of all Central Asian states. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as leading forces To understand how closer integration might work in practice, it is useful to examine the strategies of the region’s two key players: Astana and Tashkent. The major agreements concluded by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan with the United States in transport and aviation should be viewed not as isolated deals, but as evidence of the complementary strengths of the two largest economies in Central Asia. Kazakhstan signed its largest locomotive contract to date with U.S. company Wabtec, a $4.2 billion agreement for 300 TE33A freight locomotives to be assembled at the Wabtec Kazakhstan plant in Astana, along with servicing support. This will modernize...

Cotton

Central Asia’s Cotton Harvest: Between Reform, Coercion, and Economic Strain

The 2025 cotton harvest is underway across Central Asia, revealing the region’s ongoing struggle to reconcile long-promised reforms with persistent coercion and deepening economic pressure. Once the crown jewel of Soviet central planning, cotton, long dubbed “white gold”, remains a politically sensitive and economically vital crop from Turkmenistan to Tajikistan. Turkmenistan: Forced Mobilization Persists In Turkmenistan, mass mobilization for the cotton harvest continues largely unchanged. Chronicles of Turkmenistan reported that during a September cabinet meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov ordered all regions to begin picking on September 10. Just two days earlier, the Ministry of Health had instructed medical institutions to send doctors, nurses, orderlies, and even technical staff to the fields, each assigned a daily quota of 45 kilograms. In the town of Turkmenabat, hospital workers said doctors were expected to go to the fields immediately after overnight shifts. Those who refuse must hire substitutes at their own expense, paying about 50 manats ($14) per day. As a result, up to two-thirds of monthly salaries are spent covering these unofficial harvest duties. While younger staff are dispatched to the fields, older employees are left to maintain hospital operations with minimal support. Uzbekistan: Reform, but Lingering Coercion Uzbekistan, by contrast, has officially ended Soviet-style forced labor. The government abolished child and public-sector mobilization, scrapped state cotton quotas in 2020, and partnered with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to monitor the transition. In March 2022, the Cotton Campaign, a global coalition of rights groups, unions, and apparel brands, lifted its boycott of Uzbek cotton, citing the end of systemic forced labor. The campaign, which began in 2011, had gained the support of more than 330 global brands, including H&M and Zara. Yet coercion has not entirely disappeared. In a recent video published by Kun.uz, Dilfuza Tashmatova, deputy hokim (governor) for family and women’s affairs in the Surkhandarya region's Sariosiyo district, was seen berating mahalla (local governance body) employees for failing to recruit enough pickers. She demanded that each “women’s activist” find five to ten additional laborers, totaling 150 people, and threatened dismissal for non-compliance. “Are you even a woman? Shameless! Unscrupulous! If you don’t want to work, then leave!” she shouted from a cotton field. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, approximately 70% of Uzbekistan’s cotton is still harvested by hand, despite recent gains in mechanization. Labor shortages have plagued the past two harvests as fewer people are willing to take on the physically demanding work for low wages. Mahalla councils are often pressured to mobilize unemployed or low-income residents. Following public backlash, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Poverty Reduction and Employment fined Tashmatova 20.6 million UZS (about $1,660) under Article 51 of the Administrative Code, which prohibits forced labor. From Soviet Monoculture to Market Reforms Uzbekistan’s long history of forced cotton labor dates back to its designation as the Soviet Union’s cotton monoculture. For decades, students, teachers, and medical staff were sent into the fields to meet state quotas. After independence, the system endured until international scrutiny spurred reforms. The ILO hailed...

Border Troops

Uzbekistan Says Border Troops Acted Lawfully in Shooting of Two Kyrgyz Citizens

Uzbekistan’s Border Troops have confirmed that Uzbek servicemen acted lawfully during a fatal shooting near the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border on August 15, which resulted in the deaths of two Kyrgyz nationals. The official statement was released by the press service of the Border Troops under the State Security Service on September 4. According to the report, the incident occurred near the Ugam-Chatkal nature reserve in Tashkent region’s Bostanlyk district. Border patrol officers reportedly spotted two unidentified individuals in a restricted area near the state boundary. When ordered to stop, the individuals attempted to flee. Border guards fired several warning shots into the air, but the individuals continued moving toward the border. Weapons were then used “as a last resort,” according to the statement. Both individuals were wounded and died at the scene, despite first aid being administered by border personnel. A search of the area revealed a tent, three horses, food supplies, and tracks indicating the presence of a third individual who reportedly fled back into Kyrgyz territory. The border services of both Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan were immediately notified. On August 31, authorities confirmed the deceased were Kyrgyz citizens, and their bodies were returned to their families. A joint site inspection by Uzbek and Kyrgyz border officials was conducted on September 2-3. Following the inspection, a bilateral commission concluded that the Uzbek border patrol had acted in accordance with national law and that the individuals had illegally crossed the state border. Both sides agreed to continue investigating the identity of the third individual and to pursue further action as appropriate.

Political Repression

Uzbekistan Remembers Victims of Repression with Renewed Educational Focus

On August 29, a solemn ceremony was held at the Shahidlar Xotirasi alley in Tashkent to commemorate the Day of Remembrance for Victims of Repression, an annual event observed on the eve of Uzbekistan’s Independence Day. The event honored the memory of over 100,000 innocent citizens who suffered during waves of political repression. Thousands were executed on fabricated charges, while many others were exiled, leaving deep scars on families and communities. In recent years, Uzbekistan has taken steps to more fully acknowledge and document this painful history. More than 1,200 names of victims have recently been rehabilitated. The Museum of the Memory of Victims of Repression has been expanded with thousands of newly added archival documents, and regional museums dedicated to the memory of the repressed are being established across the country. A major development this year is the establishment of the State Museum of Jadid Heritage in Bukhara. The opening coincides with the 150th anniversary of Mahmudkhoja Behbudi, a key figure in the Jadid movement, an early 20th-century reformist movement that sought to modernize Muslim society through education, journalism, and national consciousness. Leaders of the Jadid movement, including Behbudi, Fitrat, Avloni, and Chulpon, were pioneers in opening secular schools, publishing newspapers, and founding institutions such as the Turkestan People’s University, now the National University of Uzbekistan. Nearly all of them fell victim to Stalin’s purges in the 1930s, and their works were banned for decades. Students from Turkestan who studied in Germany in the 1920s also became targets of repression. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has commented: “If those young men had returned, they could have transformed society. It is important that our youth know and take pride in such examples.” Under Soviet rule, it was long taboo to acknowledge that a site near the Bozsu Canal in central Tashkent concealed a mass grave of intellectuals executed during Stalin’s purges. At the initiative of previous leader Islam Karimov, a memorial complex and museum were established on the site, and August 31 was officially designated as the Day of Remembrance. The Shahidlar Xotirasi Memorial, inaugurated on May 12, 2000, near the Tashkent TV tower, includes a park, a museum, and a rotunda featuring a symbolic jade tombstone inscribed in Arabic, English, and Uzbek: “The memory of those who died for their country will live forever.” Mirziyoyev has called for greater educational integration, through school curricula, media programming, and youth competitions. “Every year on the eve of Independence Day, we offer prayers in memory of our ancestors who gave their lives for freedom,” he said. “Their courage and sacrifice will always serve as an example for us.”

History

Marking 34 Years of Independence: Uzbekistan’s Past, Present, and Future

Uzbekistan declared its independence from the Soviet Union on August 31, 1991, during the final, turbulent months of the USSR's collapse. On that day, an extraordinary session of the Uzbek SSR Supreme Council in Tashkent adopted a Declaration of Independence and passed the law “On the Foundations of State Independence.” The same session resolved that September 1 would henceforth be celebrated annually as Independence Day. The move came just days after the failed Moscow coup attempt (GKChP) against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, and in the wake of Ukraine and Belarus declaring their own independence. Uzbekistan’s then-leader Islam Karimov moved swiftly to follow suit. At the time, Karimov served both as the leader of Soviet Uzbekistan and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan. He presided over the landmark session on August 31 and proposed September 1 as the national holiday. Shortly afterward, his administration began establishing the institutions of statehood, including a Ministry of Defense and a National Security Service, both created in early September 1991. Later that year, on December 29, a national referendum overwhelmingly supported independence, and Karimov was elected the first president of the new republic. Karimov’s position in 1991 was not without contradictions. Earlier that year, during a USSR-wide referendum in March, he had campaigned for the preservation of the Soviet Union. At the time, he reportedly warned Uzbeks: “Our rivers will run with milk if we stay within the Soviet Union, but if we leave it, our rivers will fill with blood.” For many Uzbeks, the first Independence Day came as a surprise. The declaration was made hastily, and the celebrations of September 1, 1991, were unlike the orchestrated commemorations seen in later years. According to Kursiv, citizens awoke to an unfamiliar atmosphere, karnay horns echoed through the streets, cars were spontaneously decorated, and celebrations broke out informally. “Citizens didn’t even know they had woken up in a new independent state,” one account recalled. Emotions ranged from pride and elation to confusion and concern. The post-Soviet transition proved challenging: economic hardship and shortages left some wondering whether independence had been a mistake. “People in the villages were very unhappy, a bit scared, and already wondering if independence was a big mistake,” wrote Bruce Pannier in 2016. At the time, Pannier, now a contributor to The Times of Central Asia, was traveling through Uzbekistan in 1992. Others remained hopeful, viewing independence as a long-awaited moment of self-determination. For older generations raised under Soviet rule, the sense of historic transformation was profound. Today, 34 years later, Independence Day remains Uzbekistan’s most important national holiday, marked by public ceremonies and official remembrances. The events of 1991 continue to shape national identity and memory. Islam Karimov is remembered by some as the founding father of the republic; a legacy still debated in public discourse. For those who lived through the early 1990s, memories of watching a new flag rise and hearing a new anthem are inseparable from the hardship and promise of the era. Journalist Aziza Qurbonova reflected...

Trilateral Relations

Trilateral Summit in Turkmenistan Focuses on Transport, Energy, and Trade

On August 22, a trilateral summit was held in Turkmenistan’s Avaza National Tourist Zone, bringing together Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev. The leaders focused on strengthening cooperation in trade, the economy, transport, energy, and humanitarian affairs, while also emphasizing the development of political, cultural, and multilateral ties. Transport and Transit Mirziyoyev presented several initiatives aimed at expanding regional transport routes and maximizing the region’s transit potential. He highlighted the strategic importance of integrating existing and new corridors to better connect China with South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Construction of the China-Uzbekistan railway is underway, and a memorandum has been signed with Pakistan and Afghanistan to establish the Trans-Afghan Corridor. According to Mirziyoyev, these projects could significantly enhance infrastructure utilization across Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The development of the Middle Corridor and the Zangezur Corridor was also discussed. The leaders agreed to collaborate on increasing the capacity of regional transport hubs, constructing modern logistics infrastructure at the ports of Turkmenbashi and Baku, implementing a unified tariff policy, and digitizing freight systems. Uzbekistan expressed its willingness to reduce tariffs on a reciprocal basis to facilitate improved access to global markets for regional businesses. Energy Cooperation Energy cooperation was another key focus. The participants emphasized the need to expand collaboration in energy exports and to explore new supply routes. A proposed project to export “green” energy to Europe was described as promising. Additionally, in the hydrocarbon sector, the leaders proposed deeper cooperation in geological exploration and offshore field development in the Caspian Sea. “Joint efforts in the fields of transport, transit, and logistics will be of great importance not only for our countries but also for the wider region,” said President Aliyev, stressing the strategic nature of trilateral cooperation. Aliyev also noted that Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR has begun developing an oil field in Uzbekistan, with results expected in the coming years. Trade and Industry According to summit participants, mutual trade volume between Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan has doubled in recent years, with industrial goods making up 40% of this trade. Talks included preparations for a Comprehensive Action Plan aimed at developing trade and logistics chains, establishing wholesale distribution centers, unifying phytosanitary standards, introducing digital product labeling, and launching joint online platforms. The leaders also underscored the importance of regional engagement and called for increased organization of trade fairs and business forums under the auspices of national chambers of commerce and industry. Summit Outcomes The summit concluded with the endorsement of a new trilateral program for cultural and tourism exchanges, aimed at boosting regional tourism and promoting shared cultural heritage. A joint presidential statement was issued, alongside memoranda of cooperation in the fields of transport and logistics, shipbuilding, and aviation. Additionally, an agreement was signed on cooperation between national commodity and raw material exchanges. To ensure implementation, President Mirziyoyev proposed the development of a roadmap and the institutionalization of regular ministerial meetings focused on key cooperation areas.