Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 14 February the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Moscow Botirzhon Asadov was summoned to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

A protest was expressed to him in connection with the statements of the rector of the University of Journalism and Mass Communications, as well as the chairman of the National Media Association of Uzbekistan Sherzodkhon Kudrathodja. This was reported on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

Sherzodkhon Kudrathoja in an interview with Alter Ego noted that after the 1966 earthquake, many workers from Belarus, Ukraine and Russia remained in Tashkent.

“But, by the way, they haven’t learned our language in 40-60 years. As Karl Marx claimed, it seems to belong to him, or is said to belong to him. Two people do not know the language of the country where he lives. The first is the occupier who occupied, but apparently, in the minds of many people they are the occupiers. The second is an idiot, that is, a person who cannot think, think or read. Therefore, let them decide for themselves: they are occupiers or idiots. Let them not be offended,” said Sherzodkhon Kudrathoja.

The Russian Foreign Ministry protested because of the offensive and unacceptable statements that Sherzodhon Kudrathodja made in an interview.

The Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that such statements do not correspond to the deepened strategic partnership between Russia and Uzbekistan.

The statement notes that the Russian language played a unique unifying role in the USSR, where everyone had the opportunity to preserve and develop their culture.

The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed the conviction that any attempts to quarrel the peoples of Russia and Uzbekistan are doomed to failure.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope for an official comment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan with a principled assessment of the statements of Sherzodkhon Kudrathoji.