Uzbekistan Official's Response to the Article

Young woman using her skills to establish herself
By Alexander Aliev
Financial Times; Aug 28, 2003

From Mr Alexander Aliev.

Sir, I have read with interest the article "Uzbekistan offers rich pickings for leader's daughter" (August 19) about Gulnora Karimova and her business.

The article does not contain a single fact that could be interpreted as a serious violation of national legislation or universal norms of international business ethics.

Indeed, there is nothing reprehensible in Ms Karimova engaging in business. A young woman with a western education and in possession of business skills has decided to establish herself as a person, although her status would allow her not to work and reap all the benefits of her position. Even the figures published by your newspaper cannot live up to the description of her business as an "empire". This claim is a groundless exaggeration.

I regret that your correspondent did not mention his meetings with senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prosecutor General's Office, State Tax Committee, Committee for State Property of Uzbekistan, and employees of the Coca-Cola Company. I believe publication of information thereby gathered might shed light on the other side of the coin.

Our country has undertaken the reform of its society and economy in difficult conditions, gradually but consistently approaching world standards. Being a determined and unwavering advocate of the anti-terrorist coalition, Uzbekistan has demonstrated its unambiguous commitment to building a liberal democratic governance with a market economy.

Alexander Aliev
Chargé d'Affaires
Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan
London W11 3RP

Tanlov's Letter in Response to Mr. Aliev's Letter

Uzbek leader's family abuses laws

Mr. Aliev - Sir, In your ardent letter of August 28, you implicitly admit that Ms. Gulnora Karimova, the daughter of President Karimov, is engaged in business in Uzbekistan and operates the amounts of money indicated in the August 19 article “Uzbekistan offers rich pickings for leader’s daughter.”

You state that Uzbekistan is “building a liberal democratic governance with a market economy,” and that business functions in accordance with “norms of international business ethics.” Why are all those advantages of a democratic state available to Ms. Karimova, but not to the ordinary people of Uzbekistan? After all, according to the Constitution of Uzbekistan, are not all citizens equal before the law?

How can Ms. Karimova, whose “status would allow her not to work and reap all the benefits of her position,” be more privileged than millions of other citizens of Uzbekistan? What kind of “status” is it? Is it the status of “the daughter of President Karimov” or “Adviser to Foreign Affairs Minister of Uzbekistan”?

According to the “norms of international business ethics,” Ms. Karimova, being an Adviser to Foreign Affairs Minister of Uzbekistan, should not engage in business. It appears, Mr. Aliev, that you do not consider it a “serious violation of the norms of international business ethics.” Why do you deny only “serious violations” by Ms. Karimova? Would you connive double standards in evaluating Ms. Karimova?

If Uzbekistan is indeed “consistently approaching the world standards,” then the citizens of Uzbekistan should have a right to see the income declaration of Ms. Karimova as well as that of her father, President Karimov, and verify that they pay taxes on their earnings. If Ms. Karimova defies U. S. Court order to a point where a warrant is issued for her arrest, why are you so confident that Ms. Karimova acts within the “norms of international business ethics?”

Implicitly admitting the amounts of money in Ms. Karimova’s operations, you regret that mere hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars are called “an empire”! For the ordinary citizens of Uzbekistan, who earn thirty dollars a month, it is more than “an empire.”

Why do major international investors lack opportunities to convert Uzbek soums into hard currency and transfer funds abroad, while Ms. Karimova manages to do that? Does Ms. Karimova comply with all intricate currency regulations of the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan?

Most likely “a western education” helps Ms. Karimova to do that. So why does not Ms. Karimova utilize her “western education” for true democratic reforms in Uzbekistan?

It is not quite clear what is the connection between Uzbekistan’s “being a determined and unwavering advocate of the anti-terrorist coalition” and Ms. Karimova. It seems, Mr. Aliev, that you are indicating to the western press that it should not criticize the family of President Karimov - unwavering advocate of the West in the war against terror.

Why don’t you, Mr. Aliev, publish your letter in Uzbekistan press? Or are you only concerned with promoting the image of President Karimov’s family abroad, while the opinion of the people of Uzbekistan is of no interest to you?

It is a pity that we, the citizens of Uzbekistan, cannot notice the “unambiguous commitment to building a liberal democratic governance with a market economy.” In democratic countries, the leaders demonstrate this “commitment” to their people, their voters. Meanwhile in Uzbekistan, President Karimov never demonstrated that “commitment” to his voters, because he does not depend on them at all. Despite the 12 years of independence, Uzbekistan remains an authoritarian state, in which the voters cannot change their government by peaceful means. The root of all problems of the people of Uzbekistan is the authoritarianism of President Karimov.

Sincerely,
Timur Niyazov
Youth Organization Tanlov