Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned Iranian Ambassador Mohammed Ali Eskandari on October 23 and handed him a note of protest over social media posts by Iranian diplomatic missions that presented Samarkand’s historical and cultural heritage in a one-sided, politicized manner, the ministry’s press service reported.
During the meeting, the Uzbek side expressed its firm objection to the publications and called on Iranian diplomatic missions to remove the relevant posts and take measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The ministry emphasized that the heritage of Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and other historical cities of Uzbekistan forms an integral part of the country’s rich and diverse historical and cultural development over many centuries.
It added that Samarkand’s historical and cultural identity reflects the centuries-old history, statehood traditions and cultural development of the Uzbek people.
According to the ministry, materials published through official diplomatic channels should comply with the principles of mutual respect and trust and should not politicize historical and cultural issues.
Uzbekistan reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining relations with Iran based on mutual respect and trust while emphasizing its principled position against unilateral interpretations of the country’s historical and cultural heritage.
The dispute followed a video address by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recorded at Registan Square during his visit to Samarkand. Rubio highlighted the city’s historical importance as a center of international trade and commerce.
Following the address, Iranian diplomatic missions in Armenia, Zimbabwe and Bulgaria published photos and videos featuring Rubio at Samarkand’s architectural landmarks, describing them as part of Persian or Iranian-Islamic civilization.
The Iranian embassy in Armenia stated that the location where Rubio was standing formed part of Persian civilization and architecture. The embassy in Zimbabwe described the arcades of Registan Square as an architectural symbol of Iranian-Islamic civilization.
The Iranian embassy in Bulgaria also referred to Persian heritage in a post featuring Rubio photographed in Samarkand.