Cem Ozdemir, of Germany’s Greens faction in the European Parliament, has condemned this decision, adopted by EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
“EU foreign ministers sent a wrong signal by lifting the Uzbek sanctions. They lost trust in the EU policy on human rights,” Ozdemir said.
He said that the “progress” the EU foreign ministers saw in the human rights situation in Uzbekistan was a farce. An EU-sponsored media seminar held in Tashkent on 2-3 October was one of such farces, he thinks.
Foreign and local journalists were not allowed to attend this seminar, while children are still being forced to pick cotton despite the ratification of UN conventions banning child labour, Ozdemir said.
The human rights situation in Uzbekistan is best explained by the conviction of journalist and human rights activist Salijon Abdurahmanov, the German MP said.
“The government’s repressive policy has not changed. Opposition members and human rights activists are still under pressure and they are being detained. The latest example is the conviction of well-known journalist Salijon Abdurahmanov,” Ozdemir said.
Human rights were a central point of the EU’s Central Asia Strategy adopted in 2007, Ozdemir said. This means that holding a human rights dialogue is not sufficient without specific results.
“We demand EU foreign ministers and the European Commission have more transparent relations with Uzbekistan and specify convincing arguments for continuing cooperation with it,” Cem Ozdemir said.