TASHKENT. Oct 8 (Interfax) - Uzbekistan is not planning to reinstate its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and is able to provide its own national security, Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov said, adding that Tashkent will rely on diplomatic efforts.
"Consistent with national laws, including the foreign policy concept and the defense doctrine of the Republic of Uzbekistan, our country takes no part in military blocs. From a practical angle, it is equally important that our republic has substantial potential for the provision of national security," Kamilov said in an interview with the governmental newspaper Pravda Vostoka on Friday in response to a question whether Uzbekistan might become a CSTO member state again.
Uzbekistan has always favored the peaceful settlement of all problems, especially the conflict in Afghanistan that kept neighbor states worried for decades, Kamilov said. Relying on military power is not always helpful in dealing with security threats, he said.
"There are other instruments, which are no less productive and even prove quite effective in countering security threats in most cases. Diplomacy is one of those tools," Kamilov said.
The minister gave the example of a balanced system of dialogue between Central Asian countries and large partners in the 5+1 format and noted that such platforms are available in relations with Russia, the United States, the European Union, China, India, South Korea, and Japan. Besides the CSTO, the region has organizations such as the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) that address topical issues, including regional security and Afghanistan, he said.
"The recent participation of Uzbekistan in a CSTO summit as an honorary guest and in a SCO-CSTO meeting in Dushanbe, where the situation in Afghanistan was discussed, is an element of our balanced and pragmatic diplomacy," Kamilov said.
The proactive, open policy of Uzbekistan has resulted in strategic partnership relations with all Central Asian states and world powers, he said.
"Interaction is being actively developed in the fight against terrorism and extremism, and military-technical cooperation has also been successful. Dialogue with partners on every aspect of regional cooperation contributes to regional stability and allows for deterring serious security threats," Kamilov said.
All these factors enable Uzbekistan to effectively discuss, prevent in a timely manner, and respond to arising threats, he said.