Rubio reminded that the Russian language does not have official status in Uzbekistan. This sparked a heated discussion

The statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, made during his visit to Uzbekistan, that the Russian language "is no longer an official language" in the country, sparked a wide discussion and mixed reactions in local media and social networks, writes the BBC.

Commentators assessed the Secretary of State's words differently. Some saw them as a reminder of Uzbekistan's linguistic sovereignty, while others believed it could have been a deliberate diplomatic signal touching upon sensitive issues of language and national identity for Central Asia.

The incident occurred on the eve of Uzbek Language Day, celebrated on October 21, and again drew attention to the status of the Uzbek and Russian languages, as well as the use of Cyrillic.

The country's president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, emphasized the importance of strengthening the role of the state language in public life and the work of government bodies.

What happened?

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's remark about the Russian and Uzbek languages was made on October 19. During a conversation with a group of journalists in Samarkand, Rubio asked one of them: "Do you speak the local language? In Uzbek?"

The journalist tried to answer in Russian, saying that he spoke a little of that language. Then Rubio briefly remarked: "Ah, I see. It is no longer an official language here. But that's good. I understand that many people speak it."

A short video of this conversation appeared the same day on the Uzdiplomat Telegram channel, run by the well-known Uzbek journalist Anora Sodiq, famous for her sharp statements.

As Uzdiplomat reminded, Rubio's visit program included C5+1 format talks with the foreign ministers of the five Central Asian states, bilateral meetings with the leadership of Uzbekistan, as well as meetings with business representatives of both countries.

Commenting on the video in her personal Telegram channel, Anora Sodiq wrote: "US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said what our own officials dared not utter for 30 years."

"He reminded the journalist who spoke Russian that the Russian language is no longer the state language in Uzbekistan. What a paradox: an American diplomat has to point out the status of our own language in our own country!" the journalist also wrote.

In addition, during the incident, there was confusion with information about the identity of the journalist to whom Rubio made the remark.

For example, the private Kazakh news outlet Ulysmedia.kz reported that it was a "local journalist." However, the popular private Uzbek news outlet Kun.uz wrote that it was actually a Bloomberg agency journalist.

"As it turned out, the person who asked Marco Rubio a question was not a representative of the local media, but Bloomberg journalist Erik Martin. He addressed the Secretary of State in English, after which Marco Rubio asked him if he spoke Uzbek," the publication explained.

Not an accidental diplomatic signal?

The viral video of Marco Rubio talking to journalists in Registan Square sparked a wide discussion on the sensitive topic of language for Uzbekistan. In addition to the state Uzbek language, Russian and Tajik are widely used in the country.

"During this brief exchange of remarks, a language issue arose that touched many. In particular, many people criticized the journalist, mistakenly taking him for a representative of the local media," Kun.uz notes.

Commenting on the situation, the well-known Kazakh political scientist Gaziz Abishev stated that the US Secretary of State's remark about the Russian language in Uzbekistan "might not have been accidental at all" and could align with Washington's interests in Central Asia.

As Ulysmedia.kz writes, Abishev considers it unlikely that Rubio is genuinely concerned about the use of multiple languages by residents of other countries, as the Secretary of State himself sometimes answers questions in the USA in Spanish.

"Before Rubio's trip to Central Asia, Washington defined its interests in the region. Among them, according to Abishev's assessment, are access for American businesses to natural resources, combating religious extremism, and weakening the influence of Russia and China," the publication writes.

"The political scientist suggests that American diplomats had prepared materials for the Secretary of State in advance about the situation in the five Central Asian countries. These could have reflected sensitive issues for the region. [...] It is not excluded that the remark about the status of the Russian language was a deliberate diplomatic signal," the publication writes, citing the analyst.

Abishev himself added that, although Rubio's remark was very brief, it achieved its goal.

"Well, in the matter of Rubio executing policies, he is experienced; only true wolves survive in the US electoral system, who know how to distill exactly as many words as needed. A correctly constructed phrase - minimal risks - maximum effect," Abishev noted.

A complex and painful topic

Uzbek musician and blogger Jasur Mirsagatov wrote on Facebook that the main reason for the prolonged online disputes is that Rubio's remark touched upon several painful topics at once: the language question, Uzbekistan's national identity, and political discussions about the role of the Russian language in the post-Soviet space.

"For supporters of strengthening the role of the Uzbek language, this is a symbol of national self-determination. For an audience concerned about Russia's influence in Central Asia, it's a reminder of the region's linguistic and political sovereignty. For the Russian-speaking audience, the remark might be perceived as a demonstrative distancing from the Russian language," he explained.

"My conclusion: the excerpt is primarily disseminated because it is short, emotionally clear, and allows one phrase to be interpreted as confirmation of one's own political position. — Mirsagatov added. — But the most accurate reading is simpler: Rubio reminded about the status of the Uzbek language and at the same time acknowledged that Russian remains widespread. There is no proof yet that he deliberately provoked a language dispute."

Uzbek Language Day

Meanwhile, education expert Kamil Jalilov stated on October 20 that the Russian language and Cyrillic are still widely used in state institutions of Uzbekistan, which complicates a full and rapid transition to Latin script — the legally approved writing system of the state language.

"The most surprising thing is that, despite the legislative закрепление (consolidation) of the Latin-based alphabet as the sole official writing system for the Uzbek language, document management in higher state institutions is still conducted in Cyrillic (and in many cases, even in another state language)," he wrote in his Telegram channel.

Moreover, even publications of the very political parties that voted for the adoption of the Latin-based alphabet are published with titles written in Latin letters, while the materials themselves are published in Cyrillic.

In his opinion, the real reason why the Uzbek language has not yet fully transitioned to a single, legally established writing system "is not some objective 'inconvenience' of the alphabet itself, but rather that many people holding leadership positions and making decisions simply do not want to transition to it."

The disputes surrounding the American official's statement coincided with Uzbek Language Day, celebrated in the country on October 21.

In his address to the people, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also stated that the development of any language is reflected in how clearly people can express their thoughts and how easily they can understand official documents written in Uzbek, according to the private news outlet Gazeta.uz.

"Laws, decisions, instructions, and responses to appeals must be written in grammatically correct, clear, and understandable language. Respect for the state language must also be reflected in the high quality of public services," the president emphasized.

The language question often becomes a subject of debate in Uzbekistan, especially when it comes to the use of the Russian language.

For instance, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's complaint about the absence of Russian inscriptions on a military memorial in Samarkand sparked a wave of public criticism.

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