Gulnara Karimova Daughter of Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov Date of Birth: 08.07.1972 Country: Uzbekistan

Biography of Gulnara Karimova

Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov, was born on July 8, 1972, in Fergana. She began her career as a trainee lecturer at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy in Uzbekistan. In September 2008, she became the Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva. In February 2008, she was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs responsible for cultural and humanitarian cooperation. This appointment was the result of her extensive work with the "Forum for Culture and Art of Uzbekistan" foundation, which she herself established. The foundation has organized and implemented thousands of annual projects both within Uzbekistan and abroad. It has also been recognized as an official partner of UNESCO, a precedent among Uzbekistan's public organizations. The foundation has official representations in Russia (Moscow), China (Beijing), Japan (Tokyo), and France (Paris). Gulnara Karimova gained popularity among representatives of public organizations and entrepreneurs, allowing her to unite participants from the so-called "third sector" within the framework of the Social Initiatives Support Fund. The fund currently brings together more than 50 organizations, including several international ones such as PSI, UNAIDS, and DVV International. Some of the projects implemented by the fund include the installation of water pipes in remote regions suffering from water shortages in Uzbekistan and the installation of heating pipes in several cities in the Fergana Valley.

According to some reports, Gulnara Karimova received her higher education at the Tashkent University of Information Technologies. She also holds a degree in political science, a doctorate in political science, and an MA from Harvard. Additionally, she is a graduate of the jewelry design course at the New York Fashion Institute of Technology and is the author and designer of the "Guli" fashion brand. Two years ago, Karimova organized the first Fashion Week in Uzbekistan, which has been attended by famous and lesser-known designers and celebrities from Russia, France, Japan, and Germany. However, Gulnara is not only a patron of designers and students but also supports artisans, including those from remote regions of the country. One of her recent noteworthy projects is the "Asrlar Sadosi" (Echo of Centuries) festival, which took place in a vast territory in one of the regions of the country and attracted more than 30,000 participants and guests.

In July 1991, Gulnara Karimova met an ethnic Uzbek from Afghanistan, Mansur Maksudi, who was a US citizen, at her friend's birthday party. They got married, but their marriage ended in divorce in 2001 after a two-year process. From this marriage, Gulnara had a son, Islam, in 1993, and a daughter, Iman, in 1999. In the latest batch of American diplomatic cables published by the WikiLeaks website, it is claimed that corruption is rampant in Uzbekistan, and the president's daughter, Gulnara Karimova, is the "most hated person in the country," according to The Daily Mail. According to this information, Gulnara Karimova, who was granted diplomatic status by her father, acquired shares in nearly all profitable companies in Uzbekistan through questionable means. In the cables, diplomats refer to the 38-year-old Karimova, as a "criminal baroness." According to the embassy's information, within five years, from 2004 to 2009, Karimova made a remarkable leap, "presumably by making local businessmen offers they couldn't refuse," the newspaper writes.

The cables also reveal that Karimova spends most of her time in Geneva, where her holding company Zeromax is registered. Diplomats also report that she struck a deal with a "local mafia boss" to acquire oil contracts. Another cable mentions the testimony of an American businessman who claimed that after his telecommunications company refused to sell shares to Ms. Karimova, the company's allocated frequencies were disrupted with interference.

She has also been spotted by diplomats at a party at 3 am, where imported alcohol, which is banned in Uzbekistan, was being sold. One telegram reads: "Most Uzbeks view Karimova as greedy and power-hungry, using her father to eliminate businessmen and anyone else who gets in her way. She is the most hated person in the country," the newspaper quoted.

Other diplomatic cables state that corruption is rampant in Uzbekistan, and the government is linked to organized crime. At the same time, the correspondence indicates that the US embassy has a difficult relationship with the Karimov government. Uzbekistan is an important link in the chain of American supplies to Afghanistan. Diplomats report that last year, Karimov threatened the American ambassador to cut off transit routes after Hillary Clinton honored an Uzbek human rights activist. Ambassador Norland managed to calm Karimova down but warned Washington that "pressuring him (Karimov) could cost us transit," the newspaper reports.