Media reports say the Russian Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Oleg Malginov, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry of Uzbekistan after Russian nationalist writer and politician Zakhar Prilepin said that Russia should “annex” Uzbekistan.
Uzbek MFA’s press service says that such “thoughtless” statements “carry a knowingly provocative character and can negatively impact historically friendly relations” between the two countries.
Russia’s ambassador said that “Prilepin’s statements have nothing even remotely in common with the official position of the Russian leadership.”
Prilepin made the comments while discussing issues with migrants, saying that they could be solved by annexing new territories.
“I actually still sincerely advocate that these territories, where migrant workers come to us from, should just be annexed and to teach them the Russian language there. Not to teach them here, but there, in Uzbekistan,” Prilepin said.
Russian MFA spokesperson Maria Zakharova, commenting on Prilepin’s statement, said that his proposal for the annexation of Uzbekistan to the Russian Federation is clarified as his personal opinion.
She emphasized the strong strategic partnership and alliance relations between Russia and Uzbekistan, stating that Prilepin's views on labor migration in Russia do not represent Moscow's official stance.
“Judging from the above, Prilepin's statements are his personal opinion and do not even remotely reflect the official position of the Russian Federation,” Zakharova stated.
