Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed dissatisfaction to the Iranian side over the publication by Iranian embassies in certain foreign countries of materials that one-sidedly interpret Samarkand’s historical and cultural heritage. This was reported by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to the MFA, on 23 October, Iran’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Mohammad Ali Eskandari, was summoned to the ministry. He was handed a note of protest setting out Uzbekistan’s firm objections.
At the meeting, it was emphasized that the heritage of Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and the country’s other historical cities is an integral part of Uzbekistan’s centuries-long historical and cultural development. It was noted that Samarkand’s historical appearance reflects the history of the Uzbek people, traditions of statehood and cultural development.
The Uzbek side demanded that Iranian diplomatic missions delete the relevant posts on social networks and take measures to prevent such cases from recurring in the future.
The ministry stated that materials on the official information resources of diplomatic missions must conform to the principles of mutual respect and trust and must not politicize historical and cultural issues.
At the same time, the MFA emphasized that Uzbekistan values relations with Iran based on mutual respect and trust, but will maintain a principled position regarding the one-sided interpretation of the country’s historical and cultural heritage.
Earlier, Iran’s embassy in Armenia published a video of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio filmed in Registan Square in Samarkand and stated that this territory is part of Persian civilization and architecture.
Iran’s embassy in Zimbabwe presented the arcades in Registan Square as an architectural feature characteristic of Iranian-Islamic civilization. The embassy in Bulgaria also posted on social media, noting that Marco Rubio was photographed in Samarkand against the backdrop of Persian heritage.
