President Islam Karimov this week called for the reform and expansion of the UN Security Council so that Uzbekistan and other countries in Central Asia could secure temporary membership to address the region’s concerns. Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Karimov called for Germany and Japan to be given full membership on the Council and Central Asia to be given a voice so that its own problems and troubles could be addressed.
“A war has been going on in Afghanistan for 20 or more years. It is negatively influencing not only Central Asia but the entire world, and its flames could spread tomorrow to neighbouring states,” Karimov warned. The world must know what a dangerous situation the region faced, and the need to strike against the forces [militant Islamic militias] attacking it from outside, he said. “It would not be bad if, just standing in the centre of Central Asia, we had our voice heard all over the world,” he added.
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