[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 19, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E756]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         KARAKALPAKSTAN EVENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DON BACON-

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 19, 2022

  Mr. BACON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight the enduring 
friendship between the United States and Uzbekistan and to express my 
concern over the recent events that occurred in Karakalpakstan due to 
proposed constitutional amendments that revise Karakalpakstan's 
political position within Uzbekistan.
  Since Uzbekistan's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the 
world has witnessed its transformation from a once isolated and 
repressive nation into one that strives to modernize, address human 
rights concerns, ease political tension, and engage with the 
international community.
  I support Uzbekistan's sovereignty, independence, and efforts to 
implement democratic reforms. I am confident in Uzbekistan's ability to 
uphold the standards it has worked hard to attain in the face of this 
current challenge by protecting fundamental rights, including peaceful 
assembly and expression.
  I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost 
their lives and my sympathies to those injured. I applaud the great 
strides Uzbekistan has made to democratize and I urge all parties to 
seek peaceful resolution to these tensions.
  I look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship between 
our nations.

                          ____________________