Uzbekistan Independence Day celebration takes place in Washington

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 27 September 2019, a gala reception was held at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, dedicated to the 28th anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The event was attended by representatives of Congress, the White House, the Security Council, the State Department, the ministries of defense, trade, agriculture, the Treasury, the Office of the Trade Representative, Eximbank, the Mississippi National Guard, major American and Canadian companies, experts, public and educational circles, the World Bank , International Monetary Fund, diplomatic corps in Washington.

From the Uzbek side, the delegation of Uzbekistan headed by Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov participated in the event.

The Foreign Minister greeted the guests and informed them of the achieved goals of the reforms in Uzbekistan, the state of development of comprehensive cooperation with the United States and the prospects for further promotion of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Congratulating the United States Government on the 28th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence, Deputy Assistant to the President of the United States Lisa Curtis said Tashkent and Washington have achieved important results in strengthening mutual friendship and strategic ties. “Over the past three years, tremendous changes have been observed in the country under the leadership of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev,” said Lisa Curtis. “We are witnessing an ever-opening economy, initiatives to carry out political reforms aimed at improving the well-being of the Uzbek people, which, as the President himself pointed out, will become irreversible.” She emphasized that the United States is strongly committed to supporting reform efforts in the country.

 “We are increasing financial and technical assistance programs aimed at strengthening the technological potential of Uzbekistan, developing professional skills, and on many other issues, from joining the WTO to improving the system of teaching the English language,” said Lisa Curtis.

The achievements of constructive regional policy of Uzbekistan, due to which trade volumes were significantly increased, were separately emphasized. An obvious example, according to the White House representative, is the number of vehicles moving through the checkpoint on the Uzbek-Kyrgyz border, which over the past year has increased from 200 to 4 thousand a day.

Appreciation was expressed for the efforts of Uzbekistan in ensuring stability and security in the region. “The peaceful resolution of the conflict in Afghanistan is a critical goal for both of our countries,” the administration official said and stressed that the partnership between Uzbekistan and the United States is “an important component for achieving peace and stability in this war-torn country.” She emphasized that President Donald Trump personally thanked President Shavkat Mirziyoyev "for supporting the US efforts in finding a peaceful solution to the conflict in Afghanistan."

The representative of the Security Council noted that the visit to the republic of the Mississippi delegation led by Governor Phil Bryant allowed to bring to a new level of communication between the two countries. In turn, the visit of US Secretary of Commerce Wilbor Ross to Uzbekistan provided an opportunity to directly get acquainted with the potential of commercial and business interaction.

In conclusion, she noted that, whether the economy, counterterrorism, regional security, or improving human rights, the US is looking forward to continuing and deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries in the coming days and years.

As part of the event, the ceremony of awarding the orders "Dustlik" ("Friendship") to two prominent socio-political and scientific figures of the United States.

Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, on behalf of the President of Uzbekistan, presented a high state award to Congressman Trent Kelly for his efforts and his continued commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, the creation of the Caucus on Uzbekistan - a friendship group in the U.S. Congress, as well as a significant expansion of inter-parliamentary dialogue.

The Dustlik Order was also awarded to the Director of the Institute of Central Asia and the Caucasus, Frederick Starr, who for many years has been conducting scientific research on the centuries-old history of our country, the culture, traditions and customs of the Uzbek people, enlightening many in the United States and other parts of the world about the modern look of Uzbekistan, the essence and the significance of internal transformations and foreign policy priorities of the republic.

Congressman Trent Kelly expressed sincere gratitude to the leadership of Uzbekistan for such a high award. He noted that "this award imposes great responsibility and inspires new initiatives and constructive efforts in the development of US-Uzbek relations."

The American legislator expressed deep satisfaction with the high dynamics of bilateral relations. Since the official visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the United States in May 2018, "Uzbek-American relations are getting better and better, mutual interest in promoting multifaceted cooperation is growing." It was emphasized that Uzbekistan is of great importance for the United States, given the strategic location, human and civilizational potential, as well as the increased influence in the region.

The Congressman noted with satisfaction that Uzbekistan and the United States share common goals and priorities in ensuring sustainable economic progress and maintaining stability in the region. According to him, this is the most important prerequisite for the further strengthening of comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

Trent Kelly announced the initiation of a special Resolution in support of independence and the further development of a strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and the United States by the Vicente Gonzalez, co-chair of Uzbekistan for Congress.

In turn, Frederic Starr also expressed deep gratitude to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev for awarding him the Order of Dustlik. He stated that this was a great reward for him and a sign of great confidence on the part of the head of the republic and the Uzbek people.

As Frederick Starr noted, “Uzbekistan is undergoing a period of unthinkable transformations that are far-reaching and multifaceted in nature and affect all aspects of the country’s socio-political, economic and social life.” In his opinion, this very rarely happened in the world - comparable in scale of reforms and aspirations of the country’s leadership. “We must not only observe what is happening, but also more actively support them in these processes,” said the head of the leading US analytical center.

The Secretary of State of the District of Columbia, Kimberly Bassett, also spoke at the event, who read a congratulatory proclamation from the mayor of Washington, Murel Bowser:

“As Mayor of Washington, it gives me great pleasure to welcome the participants of the reception and sincerely congratulate the people of Uzbekistan on the 28th anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Last year, Washington welcomed the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who played a key role in strengthening strategic partnerships between our countries, which led to the conclusion of contracts for nearly US$5 billion, a twofold increase in bilateral trade, and the growth of American tourists to Uzbekistan by 60%. ” .

Boeing’s Director of International Operations and CFO of the US-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce, Brown Lopp, President of Turkey and Central Asia Honeywell, Frans van Dursen, and Vice President of Canadian B2gold Mining Company Neil Rieder also spoke at the event.

They praised the reforms carried out under the leadership of the head of state in Uzbekistan aimed at ensuring sustainable development of the country, liberalizing the economy, reducing the monopoly, improving the business climate, supporting investors and business initiatives, and noted that they are crucial in establishing trustful and mutually beneficial relations between US government and companies, giving investors the opportunity to "find a reliable partner in the face of the state."