NATO’s relations with Uzbekistan
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Left - Foreign Minister Saidkasimov signing the Partnership for Peace
Framework Document.
Dialogue between NATO and Uzbekistan is continuing, with a view to overcoming
recent difficulties. The Alliance welcomes the country’s attendance at
Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council meetings and its engagement in discussions
with Allies and Partners. While cooperative activities with Uzbekistan had been
promising, progress has slowed since 2005. Nevertheless, practical cooperation
continues in areas such as education and training of personnel and civil
emergency planning.
Uzbekistan joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace in 1995 and relations should
be understood in the context of the Partnership for Peace Framework Document.
The values and principles of NATO’s Partnership for Peace are clear: they
include a commitment to the promotion of democratic societies, freedom from
coercion and intimidation, and an adherence to the rule of law.
NATO called for a full independent international investigation following the
May 2005 events in Andijan, Uzbekistan. Following these events, the Allies have
pursued a twin-track approach: keeping open channels of communication, practical
cooperation and dialogue; while also enhancing efforts to promote democracy and
foster defence reform in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan also has the potential to play
an important role as a neighbour of Afghanistan.
How does cooperation work in practice?
The belief that there is value in communication and practical cooperation is
put into practice in several ways. Dialogue takes place within the framework of
the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC). The NATO Secretary General’s
Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, Ambassador Robert F.
Simmons, conducts high-level political dialogue with Uzbek authorities through
regular visits to the country. The NATO Liaison Officer in Central Asia also
visits Tashkent regularly and reviews cooperation with the government.
NATO and Uzbekistan are developing practical cooperation in a number of areas
through the country’s Individual Partnership Programme (IPP).
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How did relations with Uzbekistan evolve?
NATO-Uzbekistan relations began in 1992, when Uzbekistan joined the North
Atlantic Cooperation Council (later replaced by the Euro-Atlantic Partnership
Council in 1997). Relations further developed in 1995, when Uzbekistan signed up
to the Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme, and in 2002, when the country
acceded to the Planning and Review Process (PARP).
The process of supporting Uzbekistan’s domestic reforms intensified, and the
country’s role in PfP activities continued to increase until 2005, when
cooperation slowed. For a period Uzbekistan had not participated in EAPC
meetings, but now NATO and Uzbekistan engage in regular dialogue through the
EAPC, and cooperate in a number of specific fields.
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