The establishment of Uzbekistan–Russia relations (1991–1996): diplomacy, a treaty and an independent path

On 31 August 1991 Uzbekistan declared its independence, and in December 1991 the Soviet Union formally dissolved. With that, the relationship between Tashkent and Moscow changed from one between a center and a republic to one between two independent states. On 21 December 1991 Uzbekistan signed the Almaty Declaration and became one of the founders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). (Source: RFE/RL — Factbox of Uzbek-Russian Relations.)

Establishing diplomatic relations (1992)

Diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and Russia were formally established on 20 March 1992. This provided the legal basis for opening embassies and starting full inter-state dialogue between the two countries. (Source: RFE/RL; Russia–Uzbekistan relations.)

The 1992 Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation

On 30 May 1992, in Moscow, Uzbekistan and Russia signed the Treaty on the Foundations of Interstate Relations, Friendship and Cooperation. This document became the cornerstone of bilateral relations, including military cooperation, and served as a framework for more than a hundred subsequent bilateral agreements. (Source: Russia–Uzbekistan relations; CIS-legislation — treaty text.)

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Security: the Tashkent Treaty

In the same period, on 15 May 1992, the CIS Collective Security Treaty was signed in Tashkent, and Uzbekistan was one of its original participants. However, Uzbekistan later preferred a cautious, multi-vector approach toward regional blocs and withdrew from the treaty in 1999. (Source: Collective Security Treaty Organization.)

Monetary independence

In the first years of independence Uzbekistan still used the Russian ruble. From 15 November 1993 the country left the ruble zone and introduced an interim "som-coupon," and on 1 July 1994 a full national currency — the som — was put into circulation. This step reinforced Uzbekistan's independence in monetary affairs. (Source: Central Bank of Uzbekistan — history of the national currency.)

The Russian-speaking population and emigration

On the eve of independence a large Russian-speaking population lived in Uzbekistan. In the 1990s a significant part of it moved to Russia: according to RFE/RL, by the mid-1990s about 500,000 people had relocated from Uzbekistan to Russia, while the Russian embassy in Tashkent was issuing 130–150 citizenship documents a day (around 170,000 over several years in total). (Source: RFE/RL — Factbox of Uzbek-Russian Relations.)

The dual-citizenship question

Unlike some CIS states, Uzbekistan did not enter into a dual-citizenship agreement with Russia and kept the principle of a single citizenship. This was one expression of Uzbekistan's policy of asserting its sovereignty. (Source: Russia–Uzbekistan relations.)

Karimov's multi-vector path

The first president, Islam Karimov, maintained formally friendly relations with Moscow while firmly asserting sovereignty and self-reliance. Analysts describe this approach as "defensive self-reliance": to avoid dependence on a single center, Uzbekistan sought to develop balanced ties with Russia, the West, Turkey and its neighbors. In the early years the Tashkent–Moscow relationship was fairly reserved. (Source: Chatham House — Karimov's foreign policy legacy.)

Conclusion

The years 1991–1996 were a period in which Uzbekistan rebuilt its relationship with Russia in the image of two equal states: through diplomatic relations, a foundational treaty of friendship and its own currency, Tashkent consolidated its independent statehood. At the same time the emigration of the Russian-speaking population and economic interdependence kept the relationship complex and many-sided. This article sets out the historical facts and offers no political judgment.