Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — As part of the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States held in Budapest, the Alisher Navoi International Prize was awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions to the unity of the Turkic world.

This year’s recipient of the prestigious award is Aziz Sancar, an eminent Turkish biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate, and honorary doctor of the National University of Uzbekistan.

On this occasion, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev extended heartfelt congratulations to Aziz Sancar, emphasizing that presenting such a distinguished award to a representative of the scientific community will serve as a powerful source of inspiration—particularly for the youth of the Turkic world striving for new achievements.

The Alisher Navoi International Prize was established in 2021 at the initiative of President Mirziyoyev. It is awarded every two years for outstanding contributions to the promotion of Turkic culture, the strengthening of peace and security, the development of mutual trust, and the expansion of cooperation among Turkic peoples across various fields.

The inaugural award was posthumously conferred in 2022 to Chingiz Aitmatov, the renowned Kyrgyz writer and public figure.