Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is a land-locked Central Asian nation, formerly part of Soviet Union.[1] Eighty-eight percent of Uzbekistan's 27 million citizens are Muslims, and the majority ethnic group is the Uzbek people, a Turkic group.
Uzbekistan is strategically and economically important to Afghanistan, as the main land route from northern Afghanistan crosses into Uzbekistan over the Friendship Bridge. Securing the Afghan cities of Mazar-e-Sharif and Taloquan was an early priority in the Afghanistan War (2001-), major combat phase. Ethnically Uzbek troops under Berryelah Khan, were a major part of the Northern Alliance and key to the attack on Taloquan.
In December 2001, Uzbekistan and the UN signed an agreement to facilitate humanitarian supply, especially across the Friendship Bridge. [2]
References
- ↑ Uzbekistan, Central Intelligence Agency.
- ↑ United States Agency for International Development (USAID) (21 December 2001), Central Asia Region - Complex emergency situation report #12 (FY 2002), UN ReliefWeb