TASHKENT -- Two days after publicly supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity, Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Komilov is reported to have fallen "ill" and is being treated abroad.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement on March 29 that Komilov was being treated over the previous 10 days for an unspecified "chronic illness" in Tashkent, but was then taken to an unspecified foreign country for further treatment.
The report comes after Komilov told lawmakers in a speech on March 17 that Uzbekistan does not recognize the pro-Russia separatist-controlled districts in Ukraine's Donbas, known as the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic. He also called for a "peaceful solution" to end Russia's unprovoked attack against Ukraine.
"Firstly, the military actions and violence must be stopped right away. The Republic of Uzbekistan recognizes Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. We do not recognize the Luhansk and Donetsk republics," Komilov said at the time, emphasizing that his country has historical ties with both Ukraine and Russia.
Komilov also said that the Uzbek government was working on ways to prevent any possible local impact on the country's economy because of international sanctions imposed on Russia over its aggression against Ukraine.
The United States, Canada, Britain, European Union member states, and some other countries imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow after it launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
On March 21, the Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoev, discussed among other things the situation in Ukraine, stressing that the Uzbek president expressed his "understanding of the Russian side's position and activities" in Ukraine.