Karakalpakstan Events

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BACON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight the enduring friendship between the United States and Uzbekistan and to express my concern over the recent events that occurred in Karakalpakstan due to proposed constitutional amendments that revise Karakalpakstan's political position within Uzbekistan.

Since Uzbekistan's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the world has witnessed its transformation from a once isolated and repressive nation into one that strives to modernize, address human rights concerns, ease political tension, and engage with the international community.

I support Uzbekistan's sovereignty, independence, and efforts to implement democratic reforms. I am confident in Uzbekistan's ability to uphold the standards it has worked hard to attain in the face of this current challenge by protecting fundamental rights, including peaceful assembly and expression.

I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and my sympathies to those injured. I applaud the great strides Uzbekistan has made to democratize and I urge all parties to seek peaceful resolution to these tensions.

I look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship between our nations.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source