New Delhi, Jul 6 (PTI) As Karakalpakstan province in Uzbekistan witnessed massive protests over plans to curtail its autonomy, India on Wednesday hoped for early stabilisation of the situation in the region.

The Uzbek government has already dropped its plans to curtail the province's autonomy following the protests.

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According to reports, 18 people were killed and over 240 wounded in the violent protests.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India has been following the proposed constitutional reform process in Uzbekistan, including the recent developments in Karakalpakstan.

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"We express our condolences to families of the deceased and extend sympathies to the injured," he said.

"We have seen the steps taken by the Government of Uzbekistan to restore law and order and prevent any further escalation. As a close and friendly partner of Uzbekistan, we hope for an early stabilisation of the situation," Bagchi said.

He was responding to media queries on the events related to Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)