Russia's opponents in Central Asia are using distorted historical facts to damage Russia's relations with the region. This statement was made by Semyon Grigoriev, the Russian Ambassador to Dushanbe, during the opening of the international roundtable titled "Common History of Tajikistan and Russia in the Modern Context."
"Part of their agenda involves spreading deliberately biased and grossly distorted interpretations of historical events, particularly those involving Russia, among the youth of our countries. It's important to recognize that our opponents are employing similar tactics across Central Asia," he stated.
The diplomat highlighted that the terrorist attack on March 22 at Crocus City Hall in Moscow Region aimed not only to cause casualties but also to "sow discord among peoples, undermine interethnic and interfaith harmony within the Russian Federation". "And to a large extent, damage the friendly, fraternal, and allied relations between Russia and the Central Asian states, primarily Tajikistan. It's becoming increasingly evident that this is the main objective of our adversaries at present," Grigoriev said.
He also emphasized that the historical interaction between the multinational population of Russia and the peoples of Central Asian countries has always been characterized by cultural and educational exchanges. Grigoriev stressed the need for open and calm discussions on issues related to their common history. "I am confident that the recommendations developed by the participants of the roundtable will be used in training the new generations of historians in our countries. They, in turn, will continue our efforts to shape a positive image of our peoples not only for each other but also for the wider world," he added.
The roundtable took place at the Russian-Tajik Slavic University (RTSU) in Dushanbe, organized jointly with the Institute of International Studies (IIS) of MGIMO, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. The presentations were delivered by Tatyana Kotyukova, the Head of the Sector of History of Central Asia XIX-XX centuries at the Center for Comparative Historical Studies of the Post-Soviet Countries of the Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Abdullo Gafurov, the Head of the Department of Modern History at the Institute of History, Archaeology, and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan. The event was moderated by Alexander Knyazev, a leading researcher at the Institute of IIS MGIMO, and Guzel Maitdinova, a professor at RTSU.
The aim of the roundtable was to find mutually acceptable historical assessments and to counteract the historical narrative imposed by third countries.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: picknicker54/Pixabay
Based on materials from TASS