Category: News

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President of the Republic Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif participate in the Uzbek-Pakistani business-forum.

The event was attended by about 300 executives and representatives of leading companies of the two countries. Pakistani business was represented by such companies as Al-Rafique Enterprises, Mehran Dates Products, Brighto Chemicals, Transfopower Industries, FWO, T.M.C, Pakistan Mobile, TCS and many others.

In his speech, the Head of our state emphasized that during the fruitful talks held today, the issues of further expansion of multifaceted partnership were discussed in detail and major plans and tasks were outlined. An agreement was reached on the establishment of the Supreme Council of Strategic Partnership. 

Trade and economic cooperation has been identified as the locomotive of bilateral relations. 

– Having huge potential, our economies can effectively complement each other, – said the President.

Last year, trade turnover exceeded $400 million, and 130 enterprises are in operation. In this context, Uzbekistan has become Pakistan’s largest trade partner in Central Asia.

In recent years, joint measures on creating favorable conditions for business have been actively implemented. Air communication with Lahore has been resumed, and there are plans to increase the number of flights and expand the geography of flights. Business forums and industrial exhibitions are being held. Trade houses have been established in Karachi and Tashkent.

Uzbek-Pakistani cooperation is filled with new projects. Projects with Pak Merit, Diamond Group, Silk-way, Getz Pharm, Gerbion, NLS and others are underway.

The Head of our state put forward a number of proposals for further expansion of bilateral cooperation.

Above all, the importance of holding regular business events with broad participation of business representatives at least twice a year – in Uzbekistan and Pakistan – has been emphasized.

Given the geographical proximity, the need to radically increase the volume of trade turnover, including by expanding the range of goods within the framework of the current Preferential Trade Agreement, simplifying phytosanitary, quarantine and customs procedures, improving the mechanisms of interbank settlements has been emphasized. Special attention will be paid to the integration of electronic trading platforms.

Opportunities in the field of transportation and logistics are expanding. In recent years, the volume of cargo transportation between the countries has increased fivefold. In order to expand cooperation in this area, it is planned to establish a joint transportation and logistics company.

The beginning of construction of a railroad connecting China with Central Asia was noted with satisfaction. In the future, this strategic railroad may lead to the ports of Pakistan, which will significantly increase mutual trade and investment.

Accelerated development of industrial cooperation is in the fundamental interest of our countries. 

It is about projects in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, geology, mining, electrical engineering, textile, leather and other sectors.

The need to effectively utilize the potential of interregional cooperation was stressed. In this context, the importance of intensifying mutual visits of the heads of regions with wide participation of business missions of the two countries was highlighted.

In turn, Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, praising the program of large-scale reforms implemented under the leadership of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, as well as the business environment created, emphasized the presence of great opportunities for enhancing partnership.

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President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif held negotiations in a narrow format and with participation of the official delegations.

The entire range of issues on further expanding and strengthening Uzbek-Pakistani relations of strategic partnership was reviewed.

In the beginning of the meeting Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif expressed sincere gratitude to the President of our country for the warm and cordial welcome.

The Heads of state noted the dynamic development of multifaceted cooperation in the past years with deep satisfaction.

Active political contacts, fruitful interparliamentary and interagency exchanges continue. 

In 2024 the trade turnover exceeded $400 million, the quantity of joint enterprises reached 130. Trade houses are open in Karachi and Tashkent. Direct flights between Tashkent and Lahore are renewed. 

The meeting of the Intergovernmental commission, business-forums and a national industrial exhibition of Uzbekistan were successfully held.

In the course of the negotiations particular attention was paid to expanding trade and economic cooperation.

The importance of implementing coordinated measures for bringing the volume of trade to $2 billion based on the adopted “roadmap” was underlined. 

Expansion of the nomenclature of goods within the framework of the Preferential Trade Agreement, mutual simplification of phytosanitary and quarantine requirements, customs procedures, convergence of standards, integration of electronic trading platforms, ensuring access to the procurement system, improvement of interbank settlement mechanisms and others were identified as priority tasks.

The plans of leading companies to implement cooperation projects in pharmaceuticals, electrical engineering, agrarian sector, agricultural machinery, geology and mineral resources, textile, leather and other industries were reviewed.

In order to encourage business and cultural contacts between the regions, the Head of our state suggested organizing a Forum of Regions of the two countries in Uzbekistan.

Leaders of Uzbekistan and Pakistan particularly reviewed the issues of strengthening transport connectivity and utilizing the transit potential. 

It was noted with satisfaction that over the past few years the volume of cargo transportation through the multimodal corridor “Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan” has increased by 5 times. 

In order to further increase the volume of cargo turnover, an agreement has been reached on establishing a joint transport and logistics company.

The importance of coordinating joint efforts for practical promotion of the Trans-Afghanistan railroad construction project was also stressed.

An agreement was reached to hold the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission in July this year in the city of Lahore.

The sides advocated for further expansion of cultural, humanitarian and tourist exchange. In this context, it was agreed to hold mutual cultural weeks and presentations of tourism programs.

An exchange of views on the current international and regional agenda was also held. The importance of continuing mutual support within the framework of the United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, SCO and other multilateral structures was highlighted.

The President of Uzbekistan and the Prime Minister of Pakistan emphasized the need to join efforts in the fight against terrorism, radicalism, radicalism, Islamophobia and other contemporary security challenges.

In order to elaborate new areas of comprehensive cooperation, it was agreed to establish the Supreme Council of Strategic Partnership and hold its first meeting next year.

As a result of summit talks a decision was made on developing and approving a joint “roadmap” for the timely implementation of the agreements reached and signed.

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On February 26, the International Congress Center in Tashkent hosted the official welcoming ceremony of Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, who is paying an official visit to our country.

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev warmly greeted the distinguished guest and invited him to the podium. A military band played the national anthems of the two countries.

The leaders passed the guard of honor and introduced members of official delegations to each other.

After the joint photographing, negotiations began in a narrow format.

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On February 19 President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received a delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia  headed by Tawfiq Bin Fawzan al-Rabiah, Minister of Hajj and Umrah.

In the beginning of the meeting, the high guest passed to the Head of our state sincere greetings and warm wishes from the King of Saudi Arabia Salman Al Saud and Crown Prince, Prime Minister of this country Mohammed Al Saud. The minister also presented the King’s gift to the multi-ethnic people of Uzbekistan – a part of the sacred covering of Kaaba kiswa.

In turn, the Leader of Uzbekistan expressed deep gratitude to the leadership of Saudi Arabia for the invaluable gift, as well as the opportunities and favorable conditions created for the stay of our pilgrims in the centers of the Muslim world – Mecca and Madinah. Last year alone, more than 800 thousand of our citizens performed Umrah and 15 thousand – Hajj.

In the course of the conversation, special attention was paid to further improving the conditions and quality of services provided to pilgrims from Uzbekistan, ensuring their safe and comfortable stay on the territory of Saudi Arabia.

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On February 18, upon his return to Tashkent from Kuwait, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with Binali Yıldırım, chairman of the Council of Elders of the Organization of Turkic States, prominent political figure and former Prime Minister of Türkiye, who arrived in our country to participate in international events in the field of urban development.

At the beginning of the meeting the high guest conveyed to the Head of our state sincere greetings and best wishes from the President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The issues of further expansion of multifaceted cooperation within the framework of the Organization were considered, in view of the increasing role and active participation of the Council of Elders in the coordination and promotion of multilateral cooperation.

The importance of expanding practical partnership and intensification of contacts for implementing the programs and initiatives adopted as a result of the summits of the Organization of Turkic States was stressed.

The issues of preparation and holding of the forthcoming events within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States were considered.

It should be noted that the Council of Elders is a permanent consultative body under the Organization of Turkic States.

The Turkic World Congress on urban development is organized by the Union of Chambers of Engineers and Architects, established in 2002 in Ankara. The khokimiyats of the cities of Samarkand and Navoi actively participate in the Union’s activities.

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Events of the first official visit of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the State of Kuwait have come to an end.

As part of the program of his stay in the city of Al Kuwait, the Leader of Uzbekistan held historic talks with Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Sabah, and Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Sabah, as well as fruitful meetings with key members of the Government and heads of leading companies and financial institutions of this country.

The summit resulted in the adoption of a joint statement, as well as signing a solid package of agreements in various areas of cooperation, including in the economic sphere for the amount of $4.9 billion.

As part of the cultural program, the leader of our country toured the expositions of the Al-Salam Palace Museum, reflecting the culture and history of the Kuwaiti people.

At the end of the visit, the President of Uzbekistan was escorted by Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Sabah and other officials at the Kuwait International Airport.

The Head of our state left for the city of Tashkent.

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President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with representatives of youth on February 14. Measures to further expand opportunities for young people were discussed in the videoconference format.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Head of State expressed joy at the opportunity to meet with the youth again and called them “the golden fund of our nation”. 

Youth makes up 60 percent of Uzbekistan’s population, and more than 600 thousand young people enter the labor market every year, the number of which may reach 1 million by 2030.

Ensuring employment and creating favorable conditions for the realization of the potential of young people have become priority areas of State policy. Over the past 8 years, the number of young entrepreneurs has tripled, and today they account for almost 40 percent of the business sector.

At the same time, the unemployment rate among young people has halved and the number of unemployment-free mahallas has reached 1,889. Last year through the “Youth Notebook” 180 thousand young people were assisted to the amount of 345 billion soums.

Previously, at least 10 applicants had to compete for one place in higher education institutions. Thanks to the rapid growth in the number of universities, higher education now covers 42 percent of young people, and government support for contractual payment for women has led to an 11-fold increase in the number of female students. 

The number of young specialists achieving success in various spheres is steadily growing: more than 1.5 thousand of our students are studying in top foreign universities, over the past 25 years the state program has allowed sending 800 young people abroad, and only over the past 7 years, thanks to the “El-Yurt Umidi” fund, 2.3 thousand compatriots have received this opportunity. 

The number of young scientists with academic degrees has doubled and exceeded 4 thousand people, and the culture of reading has become a national movement – the number of participants in the traditional contest “Yosh Kitobkhon” has reached 3 million.

Special attention is paid to the study of foreign languages: over the past 3 years, the number of young people who have started studying languages has reached 2 million, and the number of those who get high scores on the IELTS exam has grown fivefold. 

Uzbekistan’s youth policy has been recognized at the international level – the country is among the 10 states most actively implementing the “Youth – 2030” strategy under the aegis of the UN.

At the meeting, the President announced the signing of three key documents aimed at supporting youth entrepreneurship. 

As part of these measures, a fund with an allocation of $100 million will be established under the Agency for Youth Affairs, which will allow providing young entrepreneurs with soft loans of up to 2.5 billion soums and investments in startup projects of up to 2 billion soums. 

At the same time, a new system for employment of university graduates will be launched: the National Bank will receive $100 million to introduce a package of banking services aimed at turning the ideas and initiatives of young people into real projects. 

A commission consisting of khokims, bank and business representatives will be established to ensure the employment of graduates. 

According to the third document, “Alokabank” will be transformed into a backbone bank to support business projects of young people and will be allocated $200 million. The bank will provide soft microloans up to 100 million soums for up to 7 years for the self-employed.

Individual entrepreneurs who have opened small businesses and training centers and hired at least 20 young employees will be granted preferential loans of up to 5 billion soums. At least 30 percent of the loans will be allocated to support women’s entrepreneurship.

This year, it is planned to provide employment for 5.2 million people, with a significant share of jobs for young people. 

Young people earning at least 100 million soums with effective use of land plots will be provided with plots on simplified terms, and young entrepreneurs who obtained production areas through industrial mortgage will be provided with modern equipment on favorable terms. Service enterprises employing young people and paying salaries of at least 3 million soums per month will be subject to a social tax of 1 percent.

In the creative economy, 98 percent of workers are young people. Last year, a law was adopted defining the legal framework for this sphere.

Now it is planned to create creative industry parks in the regions, whose residents will be subject to a preferential tax regime until the end of 2030. Business schools will also be organized to teach innovative methods of doing business and providing e-commerce services.

Knowledge of foreign languages plays an important role in finding a job, so qualified young people studying in language centers in remote regions will be provided with an interest-free loan of up to 120 million soums. In addition, young people’s expenses for learning foreign languages in private training centers will be compensated according to the “2+6” months scheme.

In IT sphere it is planned to attract additional 300 thousand young people to the project “One million programmers”. A long-term strategy will also be developed to implement the “Digital Social Ecosystem”. 

One of the most effective ways to combat poverty is education. Therefore, conditions will be created for at least one child in a low-income family to receive higher education by providing interest-free educational loans, additional grants and assistance in paying the contract. For talented young people from socially vulnerable families, a new project “Bright Future” will be launched to study abroad. 

The Youth Agency will support every student studying abroad, and educated young people will be sent to top-100 foreign universities with tuition and living expenses covered. Foreign-educated graduates will be included in the national talent pool and employed in government agencies without competition.

In addition, young scientists up to 35 years of age who have received a degree from prestigious international universities will be provided with an interest-free loan of up to 800 million soums for the purchase of housing for up to 10 years. The amount of lump-sum monetary reward for winners and prize-winners of prestigious international scientific Olympiads will be increased 5 times. 

Quotas of “El-Yurt Umidi” fund will be increased for the sectors of energy, transport, urbanization, modern architecture and medicine. The state scholarship of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief will be introduced for excellent students of military educational institutions. 

From the next academic year, engineering Olympiads and competitions will be organized among students, and the best graduates will be admitted to technical universities on a grant basis.

The meeting also discussed the issues of strengthening the ideological immunity of the young generation, shielding it from the impact of destructive ideas. It was emphasized that young people with difficult upbringing need special care and assistance in finding their place in life. 

In order to strengthen patriotism among students of grades 10-11, the “Vatan Tayanchi” movement has been launched and more than 300,000 young people have already joined it. This movement will be extended to vocational schools, technical colleges and private educational institutions, covering 1 million students. Various contests and competitions will be organized, and “Shijoat va Gayrat” sports games will be held in mahallas, the winners of which will be given recommendations for admission to military schools.

Speakers at the meeting noted that the proposed measures and initiatives will create more opportunities for young people and become a powerful incentive for the fulfillment of their aspirations. 

The President supported the youth’s proposals and assured that support for young people would remain a constant priority.

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President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Chairman of the National Olympic Committee Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a meeting via a video conference call on the development of the Olympic and Paralympic movement, bringing adaptive and mass sports to a new level, as well as increasing physical activity of the population.

Every parent and every nation seeks to raise a physically and spiritually developed generation – goals that cannot be achieved without systematic physical education and sport. It is sport that is the backbone of a healthy nation and the foundation of a healthy generation.

In this regard, the state pays special attention to the development of the sports sphere. Over the past four years, the amount of funds allocated from the state budget for sports has increased from 1.5 trillion to 3 trillion soums, and the average salary of coaches has doubled. 101 large sports facilities have been built and 67 facilities have been reconstructed. The achievements of our athletes at the Olympics in Paris have become a vivid evidence of the effectiveness of the taken measures.

Now the goal is to be among the top ten teams at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. For this purpose, it is necessary to strengthen training and develop sports federations.

At the meeting these issues were considered in the context of 26 sports federations and regions.

At the last Olympic Games only 5 licenses were obtained in athletics, the program of which includes 48 disciplines, and in aquatics, where there are 49 disciplines – only 4 licenses. At the same time, athletes from Karakalpakstan, Jizzakh, Kashkadarya, Navoi, Namangan and Syrdarya regions showed poor results.

In this regard, a decision has been made to create a new system of searching and training talented youth in Olympic sports, stimulating athletes and coaching staff. The Head of State outlined a number of initiatives in this area.

First of all, regional branches of the Olympic Committee will be established to develop the Olympic and Paralympic movement and improve the selection system. Just as the President heads the National Olympic Committee, regional branches will be headed by regional khokims. Together with each sports federation, the regional branches will develop a strategy of preparation for the Olympic Games, and 300 billion soums will be allocated to create the necessary infrastructure and conditions.

In addition, it is planned to attract foreign best practices and grants, athletes and coaches will be trained in foreign sports academies, and sports will be distributed into three priority categories, based on the results of previous Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The need to turn 310 sports schools in the regions into a selection base for national teams, where new methods and approaches will be introduced, was emphasized. Also, 56 sports schools adapted for Olympic sports will become the main reserve, where young athletes selected at the regional level will be purposefully trained under individual programs.

In addition, twice a year, Olympic sports competitions will be held in the regions under the title “Olympic Peaks of New Uzbekistan”. Local and regional winners will be incentivized by khokims, and the winners of the regional stage will have the right to participate in the “Presidential Olympics” held in December in the Olympic City.

Winners of the competitions will be awarded valuable prizes – housing, cars and others, and athletes who took the first two places will be enrolled in the national Olympic and Paralympic centers; students of 1-2 years will be given a scholarship.

The President also emphasized that along with athletes and coaches of national teams that demonstrate high results, it is necessary to stimulate the first coaches who have raised athletes.

The meeting paid special attention to the development of Paralympic sports.

Earlier for young people with disabilities there were sports clubs in 33 schools, and today the number of such schools has reached 235. The number of people regularly involved in para-sports has quadrupled and exceeded 7 thousand people.

In cooperation with the Russian State Pedagogical University named after A.I. Herzen, scientific methods and standards for involving young people with disabilities in sports will be developed, and a separate faculty of adaptive sports will be established at the university’s branch in Tashkent.

In addition, 39 sports schools in the regions will specialize in Paralympic sports. Conditions will be created for young people, especially girls with disabilities, to participate in regular sports sections. The system of issuing qualification certificates to coaches and their retraining will be simplified.

The procedure for forming national teams in Paralympic sports will also be changed: selection will be based not only on the results of competitions, but also on the fulfillment of sports standards. It is planned to create a special online platform to monitor the performance of athletes with disabilities.

An integrated system of both Olympic and Paralympic competitions will be used in organizing competitions and sporting events: where the championships are held, paralympic competitions will be organized at the same time. This will create a truly inclusive system that will become a source of confidence and support for athletes with disabilities.

It was also noted that there is a big opportunity for the private sector in the sports sector. In the future, a single register of private sports clubs will be maintained, criteria for their performance will be developed and free sports equipment will be provided to clubs depending on their coverage. Private coaches will be given the right to self-employment.

Youth from private clubs will be able to participate in competitions on their own behalf, which will enable selection of athletes for national teams on the basis of performance.

Instructions have been given for widespread adoption of digital technology in sourcing, selection and training of athletes to ensure fairness and identification of talented youth.

Special attention was paid to the development of mass sports and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

Last year, the coverage of young people at competitions reached 10 million people, but the participation of older people in sporting events remains low. In this regard, mass physical activity events will be held in the mahallas along with ranking, and by the end of the year the most active families will be provided with exercise equipment and sports grounds will be created in the best mahallas.

To attract students to sports, Olympic sports clubs for individual and team disciplines will be created in each school, and inter-school competitions will be organized. The best students will be selected and schools will be provided with the necessary sports equipment. Physical education teachers who demonstrate high results will receive additional incentives.

It was noted that there are over 700 thousand students in the country, which emphasizes the importance of increasing their interest in sports and expanding its coverage.

As for the formation of population’s healthy lifestyle, it was emphasized that not only sports, but also proper nutrition are important. According to studies, 44 percent of the population does not lead an active lifestyle and 36 percent do not follow the rules of proper nutrition. The consumption of dairy and cereal products, as well as fruits and vegetables, is decreasing, while there is an increase in the consumption of fast food, which leads to various diseases and premature death.

In this regard, the idea “Healthy Person – Healthy Nation” should become a nationwide movement, and the principles of proper nutrition and physical activity should become an integral part of every family’s life.

The meeting included a dialogue with the responsible persons of the sphere, khokims and sportsmen.

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On February 11, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with a delegation headed by the deputy head of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation Maksim Oreshkin.

At the beginning of the meeting, Maksim Oreshkin conveyed to the Head of our state the sincere greetings and best wishes of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.

Issues of practical implementation of the agreements reached during the state visit to Uzbekistan last May and other high-level contacts in accordance with the approved “road map” have been considered.

Particular attention was paid to adopting comprehensive measures to maintain the momentum of trade and economic cooperation, support industrial cooperation and e-commerce projects, expand practical interaction in water management, higher education and engineering training, artificial intelligence, cultural exchange and sports.

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On February 7, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with a Japanese delegation headed by Special Advisor to the Prime Minister Akihisa Nagashima.

Current issues of further deepening Uzbek-Japanese relations of friendship and strategic partnership, enhancing multifaceted cooperation and practical interaction between the two countries were discussed.

Special Advisor Akihisa Nagashima conveyed to the Head of our state sincere greetings and a personal message from Prime Minister of Japan Shigeru Ishiba.

It was emphasized that Japan views Uzbekistan as a reliable and long-term strategic partner in ensuring and strengthening free and open international cooperation based on the rule of law.

It was particularly noted that the Government of Japan highly appreciates the dynamic development of bilateral relations in a wide range of areas, including economic and innovative cooperation, cooperation in the energy sector, industry, infrastructure and social sphere, intensive educational and cultural exchanges, programs in tourism and labor migration, as well as fruitful regional interaction.

In 2024, trade turnover between the countries increased by 35 percent. The portfolio of projects with Japan’s leading companies and banks exceeds $12 billion. About 100 joint ventures and organizations, including the Uzbek-Japanese Center, are successfully operating in Uzbekistan.

The leader of Uzbekistan advocated the continuation of active contacts and mutual visits at the high and highest levels. Satisfaction was expressed with the rich agenda of cooperation in trade and economic, investment, financial and technical spheres, including within the framework of the Japanese government’s Development Assistance Program.

The President of Uzbekistan also wished the Government of Japan a successful holding of the World Expo, which will start its work in April this year in Osaka.

Views were exchanged on regional interaction in the context of preparations for the upcoming first summit in the format of “Central Asia plus Japan”.