ISTANBUL
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reiterated his country’s position Thursday on the Palestinian people’s right to have a state of their own.
“We once again reiterate our firm position on the Palestinian people’s right to have their own state, as confirmed by the UN resolutions,” Mirziyoyev said in a speech at the 16th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent.
He said the conflict raging in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Palestinian group, Hamas, is a concern for all, and expressed that the civilian population is suffering the most and has become a victim.
“The risk of war spreading throughout the region is becoming increasingly real. The conflict must not be allowed to escalate into a large-scale war,” he said, and urged both sides to establish a cease-fire, start peace talks and come to a “reasonable compromise.”
Mirziyoyev also touched on the absence of Afghanistan at the summit, indicating that the ECO cannot abandon the Afghan people in the face of the complex challenges they are facing.
“It is imperative that we actively engage this country in the process of regional integration as a necessary condition for our sustainable development,” he said.
He went on to urge all participants of the summit to increase humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people and address the “profound social and economic problems through collective responsibility and effective mechanisms.”
Israel has launched incessant air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.
At least 10,569 Palestinians, including 4,324 children and 2,823 women, have been killed. The Israeli death toll is nearly 1,600, according to official figures.
Basic supplies are running low for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents due to the Israeli siege, in addition to the large number of casualties, massive displacements and thousands of buildings destroyed.
