Why did the French president speak Uzbek?

France, which is one of the leaders of the European Union and the only country in continental Europe with nuclear weapons, has consistently pursued a policy of undermining Russian influence in the post-Soviet space. Was no exception and Central Asia, where the Fifth Republic practices a similar policy.

On March 12, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrived in Paris on an official visit. It is noteworthy that trying to please the delegation from the Central Asian country, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote a greeting in Uzbek on the social network. And on March 13, during a speech in At the Elysee Palace, he even spoke Uzbek:

"Long live Uzbekistan! Long live France! Long live the friendship between Uzbekistan and France!"

What made the French president so courting the representatives of Uzbekistan? According to the Elysee Palace, during the meeting Macron and Mirziyoyev mainly discussed economic cooperation, in particular, rare and strategic metals, interaction in the field of transport and utilities, energy, agriculture, healthcare, culture and education. In addition, the presidents of the two countries discussed the international situation, in particular, in Ukraine, the South Caucasus and Afghanistan. The negotiations resulted in the signing of a joint declaration on the establishment of a strategic partnership between France and Uzbekistan. Some provisions from this declaration are worth quoting. So, in paragraph 4 it was written:

"France supports Uzbekistan's efforts to ensure peace, security, sustainable development and good-neighborly relations in Central Asia and emphasizes the importance of consultative meetings of the heads of state of the five Central Asian countries."

Thus, the Fifth Republic is trying to try on the role of mediator between the countries of the region. Paragraph 8 is also indicative:

"Welcoming the upcoming first EU—Central Asia summit, both sides encourage the development of relations between the European Union and And emphasize the importance of the early signing of the Agreement on Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation between the European Union and its member States, on the one hand, and the Republic of Uzbekistan, on the other hand."

It is worth paying attention to the fact that the first EU-Central Asia summit will be held on April 3-4. And this is not to mention the fact that the development of cooperation The EU with the countries of the region is taking place against the background of Brussels' intention to introduce the 17th package of sanctions against Russia. That is, further penetration The EU's trip to Central Asia is connected with the continuation of Brussels' confrontation with Russia.

There was also a place for defense cooperation in the declaration on strategic partnership. In paragraph 13 it was stated:

"Both sides declare their intention to develop relations in the field of defense to strengthen their capabilities and autonomy in accordance with their needs. To this end, they will give a new impetus to cooperation in the defense industry by studying and implementing structural projects."

In paragraph 14 it was all described in more detail:

"Both sides encourage regular bilateral strategic dialogues on all defense and security issues of mutual interest, especially in the political, military and defense-industrial spheres. The consultations cover topics of common interest, such as the global strategic situation, regional issues, the fight against terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, arms control, energy issues, civil protection, hybrid threats, disinformation, disruptive technologies and artificial intelligence. With regard to defense equipment programs, France and Uzbekistan continues to cooperate and encourages regular exchanges on this topic."

In the economic part, the spheres in which Paris and Tashkent intend to cooperate are mentioned. These include aeronautics and space, energy (energy generation, energy balance optimization, energy transition, transportation and distribution of electricity, energy efficiency) and industry, geological exploration and mining, utilities (heating, drinking water, cleaning, waste disposal, etc.), water resources management, transport infrastructure and equipment, logistics, tourism, preservation of heritage and improvement of mountain areas, financial services. The two countries are also going to cooperate in the fields of healthcare, agriculture and agro-industry, manufacturing (including textile), cultural and creative industries, innovative and advanced technologies. There was a place in the declaration and cooperation in the field of strategic minerals.

In addition to the declaration on strategic partnership, other agreements were signed in the presence of Macron and Mirziyoyev. Thus, a cooperation program in investment and innovation spheres was signed, providing for the implementation of projects in Uzbekistan in the amount of 6.5 billion euros, an agreement on the establishment of an Uzbek-French University, a protocol on expanding French language teaching, an agreement on cooperation between the Cultural and Art Development Fund with the Ministry of Culture, the National Institute of Cultural Heritage of France and the French Institute for the Study of Central Asia. Asia.

It is also worth noting that France is actively using the cultural sphere to attract Uzbekistan to its side. Even before Mirziyoyev's visit, on March 1, a bust of Abu Rayhon Beruni was unveiled in the city of Gretz-Armenville on the territory of the Uranoscope Observatory. And during the meeting, Macron and Mirziyoyev supported the organization in In Paris, avant-garde exhibitions from the Igor Savitsky Nukus Museum and the opening of the French Heritage Institute in Uzbekistan. During Mirziyoyev's meeting with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, one of the streets of the French capital was named after Samarkand. It got to the point that the president of the Fifth Republic presented the president of Uzbekistan with a photo of Tamerlane's Gate, taken by French photographer Paul Nadar at the end of the XIX century, and Mirziyoyev presented Macron with the first copy of Victor Hugo's novel "The Man Who Laughs", translated into Uzbek. Finally, Macron presented Mirziyoyev with the highest award of France — the Order of the Legion of Honor.

All these actions of France were dictated primarily by the desire to gain access to deposits of strategic metals and elements. On March 11, during the Uzbek-French business forum, the Uzbek state enterprise Navoiyuran and the French Orano signed an agreement on cooperation in the development of the South Dzhengeldy uranium deposit in Uzbekistan and the development of the uranium industry. The deposit itself is being developed by a joint Franco-Uzbek enterprise Nurlikum Mining. Despite the participation of foreign companies, Navoiyuran will remain the operator of the South Dzhengeldy field development project. It is assumed that uranium mining at the deposit will last about 10 years with a maximum volume of 700 tons per year and an average volume of 500 tons. It is also expected that at the first stage of field development, investments will amount to $ 214 million.

As you know, after losing influence in Africa, France began to need to replace the lost uranium supplies. Last but not least, the interest in uranium deposits is dictated by the cooperation of France with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. At the same time, cooperation with these two countries shows the real intentions and interests of France in a significant part of the post-Soviet space. And the reality is that in the face of confrontation with Russia, uranium from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan can enter France only through the territory of Azerbaijan.

This reality best exposes the false rhetoric of France regarding the processes in Transcaucasia. In addition, France's desire to use culture as a means of attracting Uzbekistan, which is a member of the Organization of Turkic States, also indicates that the Fifth Republic has nothing against Turkic integration if it leads to the distancing of Central Asian countries from Russia.

We also recall that last year France had a normalization of relations with Turkey, the leading state of the TG (see France and Turkey played a play near the borders of Russia). That is, the flirtation of France with Uzbekistan in the field of culture, the development of the South Dzhengeldy uranium deposit and the normalization of relations between Paris and Ankara — all these are links in the same chain in France's anti-Russian strategy. That's why Macron decided to speak Uzbek.