Text of message of the President of Uzbekistan to Oliy Majlis circulated as an official document of the OSCE Permanent Council

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 24 January 2019 at the meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Vienna, the Message of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Oliy Majlis from 28 December 2018 was presented.

The meeting was attended by the OSCE leadership, more than 50 ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions of the participating countries and partners of the organization.

The Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan to the OSCE, Ambassador Sherzod Asadov, in his report noted that members of the Parliament of Uzbekistan supported the proposal of the head of state to declare 2019 the Year of Active Investments and Social Development as a continuation of the ongoing large-scale socio-economic reforms in the country.

It is indicated that the main task of the Government in 2019 will be to create even more favorable conditions for attracting foreign investment, in order to create thousands of new jobs and increase the welfare of the people. The focus will be on improving the lives of people, social protection of women and youth, as well as the development of science and improvement of the system of continuous education.

As was emphasized, in foreign policy, Uzbekistan will strengthen interaction with the fraternal countries of Central Asia, will continue to actively develop relations of friendship and cooperation with all CIS countries, primarily with the Russian Federation, as well as with the People’s Republic of China, the United States of America, European Union countries, and the Republic of Korea and Japan.

The attention of the meeting participants was drawn to the decision of the leadership of Uzbekistan to abolish, from February 1, 2019, entry visas for citizens of an additional 45 countries, including EU member states, and the introduction of online visas for citizens of more than 70 countries around the world.

Regarding the Afghan issue, it was stated that an important condition for stabilizing the situation in neighboring Afghanistan is its economic recovery. In this regard, Uzbekistan has begun the joint implementation of large projects in Afghanistan in the areas of transport and logistics, energy, trade and education. It was especially emphasized that Uzbekistan will continue to provide full assistance in resolving the Afghan problem. The main outcome remains - the beginning of peace negotiations and the achievement of national reconciliation.

In conclusion, it was noted that active work will be continued in Uzbekistan to strengthen independence, democratize society, develop trade and economic ties and investment cooperation, ensure peace and stability in the region.

Following the meeting, the text of the Message of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the Oliy Majlis was distributed as an official document of the OSCE Permanent Council.