No matter who becomes Afghan leader so long as no threat to Uzbekistan, says President Karimov


Uzbek TV
November 30

The Uzbek president has said he does not care who will be the new leader of Afghanistan as long as no threat to Uzbekistan emanates from that country. In an interview on his way home from the CIS jubilee summit on 30 November, as broadcast on Uzbek TV the following day, President Karimov said:

"Frankly speaking, I do not care who will be the leader, who will come to power there. I don't care who will be the leader, a Pashtun, a Tajik, an Uzbek, a Hazara or a Turkmen. I want just one thing. There should be no threat from that region."

He also said that now the entire world knew the Taleban's "anti-Islam and anti-Muslim" views.

"Now the entire world knows the Taleban's ideas - fundamentalist ideas, anti-Islam and anti-Muslim ideas. Their ideas are not only against the United States and Europe, but, above all, against Islamic countries, against true figures in the Islamic world," President Karimov said.

"It is always in our interests to be on friendly terms with Russia", President Karimov also said.