Minister of foreign affairs of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on 27 September.
“Had a comprehensive discussion of acute topics of our strategic partnership, as well as preparation for the upcoming high-level events.,” Bakhtiyor Saidov wrote in his Telegram channel after the meeting.
He noted that traditionally the agenda of cooperation between the two countries “remains extensive and covers all the areas”.
“Underscored the importance of commitment of states to the principle of non-interference to each other’s internal affairs for strengthening mutual trust,” the minister also said.
“We agreed to continue our constant dialogue in the spirit of alliance,” he added.
The meeting took place after an incident in a Tashkent school on 23 September where a woman that was assigned to hold a Russian literature class at the sixth grade hit a boy who asked her to conduct the class in Russian, not in Uzbek.
The woman, identified as Ozoda Ravshanova, came to the school on the same day to seek job as a deputy director but was not officially hired. Because the literature teacher was absent, she was asked to conduct the class. It turned out she had no required qualification, too.
After the news of the incident, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova demanded an explanation from the authorities of Uzbekistan. Vice speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the parliament of Uzbekistan Alisher Qodirov replied that it would be better if Russia dealt with its own problems “instead of worrying about our internal affairs”.
On the following day, Ozoda Ravshanova hit a deputy director at another school, where she was called because of her daughter’s behavior. When the school called the police, the woman showed active resistance. On 25 September, the court gave her 7 days in custody for this incident.
On 28 September, the second court took place regarding the first incident. Ozoda Ravshanova was found guilty of causing minor bodily harm to the schoolboy and insulting him and his parents and fined 6.8 million soums (about $535).
