The Russian Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Alexey Yerkhov, stated that relations between Russia and Central Asian countries are successfully weathering the "test of strength" amidst current geopolitical turbulence.
"In the context of the current geopolitical instability, including the deliberate dismantling of the international legal framework for security by Western nations, Russia's ties with the states of Central Asia are proving their resilience," Yerkhov noted during a lecture delivered to students at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED) in Uzbekistan.
The ambassador recalled that during the second "Central Asia - Russia" summit in October 2025, President Vladimir Putin expressed a firm commitment to deepening the strategic partnership and alliance between Russia and its historically close partners in the region.
"Russia steadfastly defends the sovereign right of our friends to independent development in accordance with their own political and ethno-cultural traditions and worldviews. Due to a variety of factors, Russia and the Central Asian 'Five' face shared external challenges and threats that we are working together to prevent. This includes ongoing collaboration between law enforcement and intelligence services to combat terrorism, drug trafficking, and organized crime. Furthermore, we maintain close military and military-technical cooperation regarding border security," Yerkhov added.
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Based on materials from TASS