Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on February 14 that it summoned the Uzbek ambassador to Russia, Botirjon Asadov, over a recent statement by Sherzod Qudratxoja, the rector of the University of Journalism in Tashkent, who called Uzbek citizens who speak Russian but do not know Uzbek “either occupiers or idiots,” RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported.
The Russian ministry described Qudratxoja’s statement as “extremely offensive and absolutely unacceptable.” Russian does not have an official status in Uzbekistan but the language is widely used in the country.
The language issue has turned into a sensitive matter across former Soviet republics since Russia launched its ongoing invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago.
