Speaking to Kun.uz in New York following the UN General Assembly’s annual high-level session, Lapasov said the United Nations should not be blamed for failing to deliver global solutions because it is not a body that stands above sovereign governments.

“If the UN were really that weak, no one would come to the General Assembly,” Lapasov said. “The UN was not created to take humanity to heaven, but to protect it from hell.”

The 80th session of the UN General Assembly concluded on September 29, bringing more than 140 presidents and heads of government to New York. Many speakers voiced frustration with the UN and its Security Council over their inability to stop ongoing conflicts.

Lapasov said Uzbekistan does not view the UN as responsible for the world’s problems. Rather, he described it as a global platform that brings sovereign states together and gives them an opportunity to make their voices heard.

Uzbekistan’s neutral position

Lapasov said Uzbekistan’s position is neutrality and that this itself constitutes a political stance.

“We are not without a position. There are several ways to express a position at the UN,” he said. “We could simply not come, but we have always been in the hall. No one called us when the war was being declared. No one asked for our opinion. Why should they expect so much from us now?”

He added that Uzbekistan’s position is to stand by its own national interests.

“We are on Uzbekistan’s side,” Lapasov said. “Saida Mirziyoyeva’s speech also reflected Uzbekistan’s interests.”

Saida Mirziyoyeva, who led Uzbekistan’s delegation to New York, addressed the country’s current policies, relations with neighboring states, peace and stability in Central Asia, climate change, Afghanistan, social policy and artificial intelligence in her General Assembly speech.

Lapasov said the topics were selected through the work of a larger team, while Mirziyoyeva was the sole author of the speech.

‘A productive’ visit

Lapasov described Mirziyoyeva’s visit to New York as productive, noting that UN Secretary-General António Guterres met with her early in the visit.