Islam Karimov did not trust Russia. So why did he become an ally?

Islam Karimov ruled Uzbekistan from the beginning of independence until September 2016, for a quarter of a century. During Karimov's era, Uzbekistan established alliance relations with only one state, which was the Russian Federation, in November 2005. However, Karimov was known for his distrust of Russia.

Karimov's distrust of Russia was natural. It was not only Uzbekistan but also all the new states that gained independence after the collapse of the USSR that viewed Russia with distrust and fear. This was because the ideas, aspirations, and projects for the restoration of the USSR were strong in Russia and still persist.

Moscow did not hesitate to impose its political and geopolitical will on new independent states, including Uzbekistan.

In 1995, elections were held for the State Duma of Russia. The Communist Party achieved a significant victory in the elections. The "Our Home – Russia" party, which was supported by Yeltsin, received only 10 percent of the votes. In March 1996, the Duma adopted two laws on the restoration of the USSR. One was "to ensure the integration of the peoples of the USSR," and the other was "to consider the Belavezha Agreement as having lost its force." Naturally, these and other sentiments in Russia caused concern for Uzbekistan and other new independent states.

In 1997, Karimov wrote a book titled "Uzbekistan on the Threshold of the 21st Century." In this book, seven major threats are listed. It discusses "regional conflicts," "religious extremism and terrorism," "great state chauvinism and aggressive nationalism," "ethnic and interethnic conflicts," "corruption and crime," "localism and clanism," and "environmental problems."

In short, Karimov states that regional conflicts, as well as extremism and terrorism, disturb Uzbekistan, but what causes us the most serious concern and poses a real threat to our independence is – chauvinism, aggressive nationalism, and imperialism, specifically mentioning only Russia. The third section of the book is dedicated solely to the threats posed by Russia.

To summarize Karimov's thoughts, the following conclusions are drawn: There are such forces and sentiments in the political elite of Russia, in its special services, and within the state that they look down on independent states, see them as part of their empire, want to keep them in a dependent state, and if possible – wish to restore their empires. To maintain its influence and pressure, Russia thinks of playing with the borders of new states, stirring up ethnic conflicts, and implementing its projects through manipulation and provocation. Additionally, Russian imperialism has attempted to instill a sense of inferiority in the Uzbek people and local nations, embedding a spirit of "backwardness."

From the mid-1990s, Uzbekistan began to distance itself from Russia and strengthen ties with Western countries, primarily the USA. After September 11, 2001, relations with the USA changed dramatically. Uzbekistan agreed to use its territory as a transit point for US operations in Afghanistan. A military base was provided in Qarshi, where it is said that between 1,500 and 5,000 military personnel served.

In March 2002, Karimov signed the "Strategic Partnership Declaration" with George Bush in Washington. According to the declaration, "the USA will regard any threat to Uzbekistan's security and territorial integrity with utmost seriousness."

However, due to several events during 2003-05, Karimov began to distance himself from the West. In November 2003, a revolution occurred in Georgia. Mass protests that began in November 2004 led to a change of power in Ukraine by January 2005. In March 2005, Askar Akayev was overthrown in neighboring Kyrgyzstan. Furthermore, the expected investments from the USA did not arrive in Uzbekistan. In December 2003, Uzbekistan requested to renegotiate the agreement regarding the base in Qarshi, raising this issue a total of six times. The USA responded that "there is no need for this."

Against the backdrop of color revolutions and the lack of significant financial investments from the USA, Karimov began to move closer to Russia. In June 2004, Uzbekistan signed a "Strategic Partnership" agreement with Russia. According to the agreement, joint use of military infrastructure and the transfer of major gas fields in Uzbekistan to "Lukoil" were stipulated.

However, Uzbekistan's relations with the West sharply declined after the events in Andijan in May 2005. Western countries did not support the government's version and demanded an international investigation. On July 29, 2005, Karimov demanded the closure of the US military base within 180 days, citing the failure of the USA to pay rent and causing significant environmental damage.

In September 2005, military exercises with the RF were held. These were the first joint military exercises since the collapse of the USSR. In November 2005, Uzbekistan signed an agreement with the Russian Federation regarding "Alliance Relations." In January 2006, Uzbekistan returned to the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

After stabilizing the political system, in 2007-09, Uzbekistan began to maintain distance from Russia again. It withdrew from the CSTO in 2012.

What does Karimov's alliance with Russia indicate? Violations of human rights lead to a disruption of balance. The failure to ensure freedom of conscience and religious freedoms has caused significant upheavals in the state’s internal and foreign policy, severely impacting Uzbekistan's status in the region and its international prestige.

There is a legal connection between the observance of human rights, religious freedoms, and the proper functioning of democratic institutions with the state’s reputation in the international arena. Denying this connection leads to mistakes and tragedies.