The Ministry of Afghanistan has denied controversial statements about Uzbekistan — MFA

Some media outlets had spread reports that during his visit to Paktia province, the Afghan Minister for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, Khalid Hanafi, stated that in Uzbekistan's cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, and Termez, Islam remains only in name.

 

Following these reports, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Afghanistan investigated the situation. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan.

 

According to the embassy, on July 16, an official letter of denial was received at the diplomatic mission in Kabul from the Afghan Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. It stated that certain circles and media outlets are distorting facts in order to damage the trust and good neighborly relations between the two brotherly countries.

 

The statement noted that Uzbekistan is the homeland of many great scholars of the Islamic world, including Imam Bukhari, and emphasized that Afghanistan and Uzbekistan are connected by deep religious, historical, cultural, and common ties between their peoples.

 

Furthermore, it was stated that statements interpreted in a negative context about Uzbekistan are absolutely untrue, such claims are categorically denied, and they represent a distortion of facts.

 

The Ministry expressed confidence that the fraternal, mutually respectful, and good neighborly relations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan will continue to be strengthened.