The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan has contacted the Afghan authorities following reports of the dismantling of a monument to Alisher Navoi in Mazar-i-Sharif. The ministry issued a formal statement in response to the incident.
According to the information received, local officials removed the monument on the grounds that its location was unsuitable for honouring the great poet and thinker. The decision was also linked to plans to build a more elaborate complex dedicated to Navoi.
The Afghan government confirmed that the construction work had not been coordinated with the Ministry of Culture in Kabul, which subsequently expressed regret over the matter. Afghan officials stated that a new monument will be erected in Navoi’s honour and that the square where the statue once stood will also be named after him.
The Afghan side stressed its firm commitment to preserving the memory of Alisher Navoi, a figure regarded as a cultural treasure across the region, and assured that measures will be taken to ensure his legacy is respected appropriately.
This is not the first such case since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan. In 2023, a bas-relief and graffiti dedicated to Navoi were reported to have been damaged, prompting Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry to issue an expression of regret at the time.
Kursiv also reports that Afghanistan and Uzbekistan have formalised contracts worth about $243 mln.
