Shahlo Nasimovna Mahmudova is an

Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...

i politician. She was the first

Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...

of the country after independence, serving from 1991 until 1992. Mahmudova received her education at the Taskhent Textile Institute, and began her political career with the Young Communist League (

Komsomol The All-Union Leninist Young Communist League, usually known as Komsomol, was a political youth organization in the Soviet Union. It is sometimes described as the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), although it w ...

) in the Soviet era. Eventually she rose to become secretary of the Komsomol of the

Uzbek SSR The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (, ), also known as Soviet Uzbekistan, the Uzbek SSR, UzSSR, or simply Uzbekistan and rarely Uzbekia, was a union republic of the Soviet Union. It was governed by the Uzbek branch of the Soviet Communist P ...

. Soon after independence, President

Islam Karimov Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov (30 January 1938 – 2 September 2016) was an Uzbek politician who served as the first president of Uzbekistan, from the country's independence in 1991 until his death in 2016. He was the last First Secretary of the ...

named her Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the same time decreeing that

Zokir Almatov Zokir Almatov (born 10 October 1949 in Zangiata, Tashkent Region, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union), sometimes romanized Zakir, is an Uzbek politician who was the interior minister of Uzbekistan until 2005. In 1967 he graduated from high school and immedi ...

should become

Minister of Internal Affairs An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...

. It was rumored that her appointment was due to the influence of

Shukrullo Mirsaidov Shukrullo Rahmatovich Mirsaidov (14 February 1939 – 2 November 2012) was a politician in Uzbekistan and the 1st vice president of Uzbekistan from March 1990 until the abolishment of the office on 8 January 1992. Formerly mayor of Tashkent and a ...

. She did not last long in the position; events during her ministry included the entry of Uzbekistan into the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

and a state visit by the

President of Turkey The president of Turkey, officially the president of the Republic of Türkiye (), is the head of state and head of government of Turkey. The president directs the executive branch of the national government and is the commander-in-chief of the ...

. She also met with representatives of the

government of the United States The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, execut ...

during her tenure. Otherwise she did not play a major role in the diplomatic life of her country, and during her time at the ministry she kept a relatively low political profile. Later in her career she became Head of the Department for Attracting Foreign Investments and International Cooperation at the Center for Special Secondary Vocational Education, and also worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

References

Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) Foreign ministers of Uzbekistan Women government ministers of Uzbekistan 20th-century Uzbekistani women politicians 20th-century Uzbekistani politicians Uzbekistani women diplomats Female foreign ministers {{Uzbekistan-politician-stub