Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The sixteenth plenary meeting of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis will consider the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On freedom of conscience and religious organizations”. This was reported by the press service of the Senate.

On 22 June, in the format of videoconference, a meeting of the expert group of the Senate Committee on Judicial and Legal Issues and Anti-Corruption took place.

It hosted a preliminary discussion of this Law with the participation of senators, members of the standing commissions of the Jokargy Kenes of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regional, district and city Kengashes of people's deputies for ensuring the rule of law and combating corruption, experts, specialists and the media.

It was noted that the Law is aimed at strengthening the guarantees of freedom of conscience, strengthening legal mechanisms to ensure the right of every person to profess any religion or not to profess any, as well as improving state policy in the religious sphere.

The relevance of this Law at the present time lies in the fact that it is aimed at eliminating the problems that citizens previously encountered in the implementation of their religious activities, ensuring the receipt of religious education and the free functioning of religious organizations, preventing the emergence of interreligious and interethnic conflicts.

It was noted that this Law contains universally recognized rights and freedoms in the religious sphere, guaranteed by international human rights standards, it takes into account the historical conditions for the formation of interreligious relations in Uzbekistan. The law will allow maintaining friendship and solidarity between nations and peoples living in our country and ensuring respect for their different religious beliefs and feelings. 

At the meeting, the expert group made suggestions and comments on this Law.