Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev in his Address touched upon the priorities of the foreign policy of our country.

When implementing the foreign policy of our country in 2021, the following tasks will be of priority importance for us.

First, it is necessary to improve the Foreign Policy Concept of the Republic of Uzbekistan, taking into account our open, pragmatic and constructive foreign policy, as well as our long-term strategic goals.

Secondly, we will pay special attention to further strengthening the centuries-old friendship, good-neighborliness relations, strategic partnership and mutual trust with the Central Asian states, which is a priority of our foreign policy.

The difficult conditions of the pandemic have once again demonstrated how interconnected we are and how much we need each other. To study and further develop these positive processes, the International Institute of Central Asia was established in Tashkent this year.

Next year, Tashkent will host a high-level international conference on the interaction of our region with South Asia.

Along with this, it is planned to hold an international conference "Central Asia at the crossroads of world civilizations" jointly with UNESCO in the city of Khiva.

Thirdly, we will continue to expand our multifaceted and mutually beneficial relations with Russia, China, USA, Turkey, Germany, France, Great Britain, South Korea, Japan, India, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates and other states.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and his deputies, ambassadors of our country abroad should introduce a new, more effective system of work with these countries.

Fourth, we are firmly convinced that the long-awaited peace will come in neighboring Afghanistan, and we will continue to provide practical assistance in this noble cause.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Tashkent International Conference also laid a solid foundation for global efforts to resolve the Afghan problem.

To date, we have taken the first practical steps to build the Trans-Afghan transport corridor, which will connect Central Asia with the Indian Ocean. The implementation of this project will serve to ensure stability and economic growth throughout the region.

Fifth, the development of close cooperation with the UN and other authoritative international and regional structures will always be in the center of our attention.

This year, for the first time, Uzbekistan chaired the Commonwealth of Independent States, and despite the pandemic, more than 60 planned international events were successfully held, about 70 important documents were adopted.

We have also begun serious preparations for the chairmanship of Uzbekistan in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in 2021-2022.

Sixth, we will consistently strengthen our achievements in the field of human rights, freedom of speech and religion in cooperation with relevant international organizations.

Next year, under the auspices of the United Nations, we will host an international forum on Human Rights Education, a World Youth Conference on Youth Rights and regional conferences on religious freedom.

Seventh, I propose to create the Vatandoshlar Foundation to support and strengthen ties with our compatriots living in many countries of the world.

Eighth, we will raise to a qualitatively new level the work on strengthening the atmosphere of interethnic harmony and tolerance in our society.

You all know that in accordance with the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, July 30 is widely celebrated annually as the International Day of Friendship. I propose to mark this date in Uzbekistan as the Day of Friendship of Peoples.

Ninth, we are seriously concerned about the deterioration of the environmental situation in the region and around the world.

Together with neighboring countries and the world community, we will resolutely continue our work to mitigate the consequences of environmental disasters caused by the Aral Sea tragedy.

Hundreds of thousands of hectares of forests and shrubs are being created on its dry bottom, a huge work is being done in the Aral Sea region to build and improve, all this inspires our people to achieve new frontiers.

In this regard, we will intensify practical work within the framework of the Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Human Security in the Aral Sea Region, created in cooperation with the UN.