On 23 September this year, a regular meeting of the Central Election Commission was held to discuss the accreditation of observers from abroad and from international organizations, as well as the organization of the activities of the Instant Information Center.

The interest of foreign countries and international organizations in the elections to the representative bodies of state power, which will be held this year in accordance with the updated electoral legislation, is extremely high.

In particular, it is expected that more than 1,000 international and foreign observers will participate in observing the elections, particularly about 400 from 50 countries, about 500 from 21 international organizations such as the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Organization of Turkic States and another 60 from the election commissions of 26 foreign countries.

It should be noted that the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe intends to participate in the observation of the elections in Uzbekistan with a comprehensive mission consisting of a core group, long-term and short-term observers, about 350 observers in total.

The great interest of foreign states and international organizations in the elections in Uzbekistan testifies to the international community's recognition of the democratic reforms being carried out in our country.

Accordingly, it was decided at the Central Election Commission meeting to accredit observers from international organizations who will participate in the elections to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis and the local Councils (Kengashes), and some observers from international organizations such as the Commonwealth of Independent States, the CIS Inter-parliamentary Assembly and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe were accredited.

As of today, foreign and international organizations wishing to accredit observers can log into the “E-Saylov” information system in their country and enter data electronically in a specific format and submit it for review.

Another notable aspect of this process is that new samples of mandates of accredited foreign observers are automatically generated electronically through this system.

Also at the meeting of the Central Election Commission, the relevant decision was taken on the establishment of the Instant Information Center – “Call Center” - and the approval of its statutes. The “Call Center” will receive citizens' complaints centrally and provide them with legal explanations and consultations in real time.

The main objectives of the “Call Center” are to establish a dialog with citizens in real time during the election campaign, to provide the population with complete and reliable information on the activities of the commissions, the stages of the electoral process, to create the necessary conditions for the unconditional realization of citizens' rights to vote and appeal, and to strengthen their awareness of electoral legislation and processes.

Central Election Commission Press Service

The resilience of Finland’s development model and the dynamism of Uzbekistan’s reforms provide a solid foundation for deepening bilateral cooperation. Finland combines technological leadership, efficient governance, and a robust social policy. Its mixed model of development with strong public regulation and an active private sector is based on long-term planning, technological excellence, and social equality.
A balanced economic policy keeps inflation at 2–3%, while maintaining a high AA+ credit rating. The national research infrastructure is funded as a key element of state strategy. Total spending on research and development exceeds 3% of GDP, reaching €8.4 billion in 2023, up 6.3% from the previous year. The contributions came from the public sector, universities, and private business.
Finland’s economy remains open and export-oriented. In 2024, foreign trade reached €146.5 billion, including €72.2 billion in exports and €74.3 billion in imports. Its technological specialization, advanced digital environment, and high human capital create a predictable setting for investors.
At the same time, Uzbekistan has become a driver of reform in Central Asia over the past eight years. The country’s GDP has doubled to reach $115 billion. Since 2017, fixed capital investments have totaled $240 billion, with over $130 billion coming from foreign sources. International reserves exceed $48 billion. The structure of production has evolved: the share of industry rose from 20% to 26%, services from 44% to 47%, and labor productivity increased by 45%. Regulatory reforms expanded the space for private capital, while transport and energy infrastructure projects established a new foundation for industrialization and export growth.
As a result of these reforms, Uzbekistan’s trade with the European Union has entered a stable growth trajectory. Between 2017 and 2024, trade turnover between Uzbekistan and the EU increased 2.4 times from $2.6 billion to $6.4 billion. In 2024, exports rose by nearly 27% compared to 2023, while imports remained at a comparable level.
A New Stage of Political and Economic Relations
Particularly strong momentum has emerged in Uzbek–Finnish relations. Regular high-level contacts have given fresh impetus to the bilateral dialogue. On 12 November 2024, on the sidelines of the COP29 Summit in Baku, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with President of Finland Alexander Stubb. The two leaders discussed prospects for cooperation in the fields of the green economy, renewable energy, innovation, and education, and exchanged views on sustainable development and climate policy.
The political dialogue continued with a telephone conversation on 9 September 2025, during which the heads of state explored ways to expand economic and humanitarian cooperation. Furthermore, an official visit of the President of Finland to Uzbekistan is expected in late October 2025, aimed at consolidating earlier agreements and opening new areas of partnership.
This process is creating a favorable foundation for strengthening trade and economic ties, introducing Finnish technologies, and attracting investment into Uzbekistan’s priority sectors. From 2019 to 2024, bilateral trade more than tripled to reach $152 million. Uzbekistan’s exports to Finland increased almost 17 times to $4.73 million, while imports from Finland nearly tripled to $147 million. Over the past year alone, Uzbek exports to Finland grew by 56%, and imports rose 3.2 times. From January to August 2025, trade volume exceeded $68 million.
Trade flows reflect each country’s comparative advantages: Uzbekistan supplies industrial goods and services, while Finland exports machinery, transport equipment, chemicals, and food products.
Prospects for Cooperation
The emerging agenda for trade and economic cooperation draws on Finland’s experience in engineering, clean technologies, digital healthcare, education, and R&D management – areas closely aligned with Uzbekistan’s goals for technological renewal, energy efficiency, and human capital development. At the same time, Uzbekistan’s favorable business climate and major infrastructure projects are reducing operational costs for foreign companies.
Given Uzbekistan’s development priorities and conducive investment conditions, there is significant potential to further deepen Uzbek–Finnish cooperation across several areas. According to the Center for Economic Research and Reforms, Uzbekistan’s exports to Finland could expand even in the short term, particularly in sectors where Uzbek producers have existing capacity and advantage – textiles and garments, fruits and nuts, footwear, leather goods, stone and cement products, as well as copper and semi-finished copper products.
Logistics could be organized through the ports of Helsinki and HaminaKotka, with Turku as a potential reserve. Distribution channels could be developed via major retail networks and distributors, including Kesko and S Group. Key success factors include certification under EU standards, stable supply chains, and regular contracts.
Industrial cooperation should move toward deeper processing with full production cycles, for example, in knitwear, wool, and leather, from spinning and dyeing to finished apparel. Potential partners include Finnish companies such as Lapuan Kankurit and Pirtin Kehräämö, as well as the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. In agriculture, joint breeding programs using Finnish sheep lines and supported by LUKE (Natural Resources Institute Finland) could strengthen the raw-material base of Uzbekistan’s textile clusters.
In the digital and green transformation sphere, collaboration could extend to telecom infrastructure and critical systems management with companies such as Nokia. In energy, there is potential for cooperation in localizing components for solar installations and storage systems, developing smart grids, and improving generation efficiency in hot climates, with participation from Finnish firms Valoe, Fortum Solar, and Wärtsilä.
For research and materials science, engaging institutions such as VTT and LUT University would help build a sustainable technological and human-resource base in Uzbekistan, while opening new regional export niches.
In mechanical engineering, cooperation could develop with Metso and Valmet on equipment components, servicing, and partial localization. In logistics and cargo handling solutions, Finnish companies Konecranes and Cargotec offer relevant expertise. In climate monitoring and water-chemical solutions, potential partners include Vaisala and Kemira.
A cross-cutting priority remains human capital. Joint programs with the University of Helsinki, Tampere University, and University of Oulu are needed to establish industrial internships and introduce Finnish methods for training engineers, technologists, and quality specialists for high-tech industries.
At the institutional level, further progress will require harmonizing border procedures, launching green corridors, implementing digital customs systems, and ensuring mutual recognition of certificates. It will also be important to develop industrial and agro-processing clusters, logistics hubs, and training programs for workforce development.
In the near future, Uzbek–Finnish cooperation may reach a stable, long-term trajectory. For Finland, Uzbekistan represents a reliable supplier of manufactured goods and components, and a new market for technology and equipment. For Uzbekistan, deeper cooperation provides access to advanced solutions and Northern European distribution channels.
In conclusion, the combination of Finland’s effective governance model, innovation, and environmental responsibility with Uzbekistan’s large-scale reforms creates a strong foundation for joint practical projects in manufacturing, energy, telecommunications, and education. Such a partnership can not only enhance the technological level of Uzbekistan’s economy but also give new quality to Uzbek–Finnish relations – anchored in long-term, sustainable, and mutually beneficial development.

Afzal Artikov,
Chief researcher,
Center for Economic Research and
Reforms under the Administration
of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The text of the article is in Uzbek!

Today, elections to the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis and kengashes of people's deputies are being held in our country.

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev together with his family members visited polling station No. 59 in Mirzo-Ulugbek district of the capital and took part in the voting.

Article 128 of the Constitution of our country states that citizens have the right to elect and be elected to the representative bodies of state power. The right to vote, equality and freedom of expression are guaranteed by law.

Five parties are running in the elections: the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Business People - Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, the Milliy Tiklanish Democratic Party, the Ecological Party, the People's Democratic Party and the Adolat Social Democratic Party.
This important event is taking place in the context of increased social and political activity in our country, under the slogan “My Choice - Prosperous Motherland”.
For the first time in the history of Uzbekistan, elections to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis are held on the basis of a majoritarian-proportional, that is, mixed electoral system. 75 deputies are elected directly under the majoritarian system, i.e. by voting for their preferred candidates, and the remaining 75 - under the proportional system, when votes are cast for political parties.

Over the past period, the electoral legislation has been radically improved in line with advanced democratic standards. In particular, a new system of electoral bodies headed by the Central Electoral Commission had been introduced, and, in order to enhance the role of women in society, it had been established that the proportion of women among political party candidates should be at least 40 per cent.
Another notable aspect of the current elections was that the interaction between the participants in the process had been fully digitalized through the E-Saylov information system.
This information system has raised the openness of the elections to a higher level.

All polling stations have created conditions for voters in accordance with the law. There are 5,770 district and 11,028 precinct election commissions organized in the field, including 57 polling stations in 40 foreign countries.
More than 850 foreign and international observers from the CIS, SCO, Organization of Turkic States, as well as a full-scale mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights are taking part in monitoring the election process.
The head of state talked to citizens who came to the polling station. He thanked them for their active participation in the elections with a sense of involvement in the fate of their native country and their district.

In today's New Uzbekistan, a lot of attention is paid to the development of reading culture and book publishing. As the head of our state says, “There will be no break in education,” in every meeting with representatives of the intellectuals, culture, literature and art, in every historical speech that sounded like an appeal to our people, he paid             special attention to the issue of studying and gaining knowledge about the fundamentals world civilization, the achievements of modern world science. He never gets tired of emphasizing the words "knowledge, knowledge, knowledge" over and over again.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev: "Each country in the world, each nation is powerful primarily with its intellectual potential and high spirituality. It is not for nothing that he said that the source of such mighty power is the great discovery of human thinking - books and readers.

Decree of the President of Uzbekistan dated January 12, 2017 "On the establishment of a commission on the development of the system of printing and distribution of book products, the promotion of book reading and reading culture", The decision of September 13, 2017 "On the program of comprehensive measures to develop the system of publication and distribution of book products, increase and promote book reading and reading culture" together with the decision “On additional measures for the further development of the publishing and printing industry”, It is well known that great work has been done on the decisions "On further improvement of information-library services to the residents of the Republic of Uzbekistan".

On December 14, 2020, the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On approval of the national program for the development and support of reading culture in 2020-2025" was adopted.

The processes of implementation of this National Program are showing positive results.

The fourth initiative put forward by our President - to raise the spirituality of young people, to widely promote reading among them - serious practical work is being carried out in our country. Young people, especially teenagers and children, are widely participating in reading contests. 

Members of the Writers' Union of Uzbekistan actively participate in events dedicated to book reading and development of reading.The Children's and Adolescent Creative Council operates under the association, master classes are regularly held by well-known poets and writers in all schools, higher and secondary educational institutions of our country.

By the Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan in April-May of this year in order to attract students and pupils of all higher educational institutions and general education schools in our country to reading books, to raise the level of artistic literacy and educate them in the spirit of patriotism and concern for the future of our country as part of the “Sharing Enlightenment” project, 156 famous artists held meetings with writers and educational events in 202 higher educational institutions and 606 secondary schools, under their auspices. At these events, 150 works of art were recommended for reading, films and performances were shown.

During 2020-2023, the Writers' Union of Uzbekistan published 403 books in the fields of prose, poetry, playwriting, children's literature, literary studies, and artistic translation. Over the past years, our poets, writers and translators prepared 100-volume "Masterpieces of Russian Literature" and 100-volume "Masterpieces of Turkish Literature" for publication. This great project was supported by the Head of State, published and distributed to the regions.

At this point, it should be noted that the 16-volume set of books entitled "Masterpieces of Karakalpak Literature" was prepared for publication and submitted to the press by the Writers' Union of Uzbekistan.

Within the framework of the "Book campaign" project, in the first quarter of 2023, 4,679 books were sent to higher education institutions, general education schools, 14,800 books to the provinces, 50 books to the penal colony, 950 to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Spirituality, Information and Library Centers, 500 to the State Security Service, 7,267 to event participants, book authors, 461 to newspapers and creative houses, 300 to Uzbekistan-Kyrgyz Friendship Society, 350 to neighborhoods, 134 to the Office of Muslims, More than 30 thousand 791 books were distributed indiscriminately to Uzbekistan "Veteran" Association of combatants-veterans and disabled people, 500 books to Halq Bank, and 600 books to children's camp. To date, more than 1 million books have been distributed in four years.

At the moment, the 100-volume set of books "Masterpieces of World Children's Literature" is being prepared for publication by the Writers' Union of Uzbekistan.

In 2020-2023, the first books of 87 young authors were published in tens of thousands of copies each in the "My first book" project by the Writers' Union of Uzbekistan, and presentation events were held. The books were freely distributed to higher education institutions, general education schools, and military units.

All these are aimed primarily at the development of reading among young people, children and adolescents. Publication of books and promotion of book reading will be continued consistently.

18.9 million of the population of Uzbekistan or 54 percent are young people and children under 30 years of age. 9.5 million of young people are male and 9.4 million are female.

More than 50 laws and regulations were adopted in 2017-2021 in order to strengthen the legal basis of state policy regarding youth in the republic, and June 30 was declared as "Youth Day ".

As a result of the socio-political and economic reforms implemented in our country in recent years, a step has been taken to a completely new level of development. Youth , culture and sports issues was established in the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan , a "Youth Parliament" consisting of 100 active and enterprising young people under the Senate of the Oliy Majlis and 250 active and initiative young people under the Legislative Chamber, a commission on youth issues was established in the Legislative Chamber. 22.9 percent of business entities operating in the republic or 106 thousand 574 of them belong to young people under the age of 30 will come 21.5% of individual entrepreneurs are young people under 30 years old. Also, more than 3.5 thousand young farmers and about 7.8 thousand young craftsmen are working in the country.

In the 2019 elections to the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 9 (6%) young people were elected as deputies, and 10% of local council deputies are young people.

The "Brave Boy" state award and the "Builder of the Future" medal were established to reward young people between the ages of 14 and under 30, who set an example for their peers with their activity and initiative in the social and political life of the country, as well as who have achieved great achievements in their studies and work. At the core of these practical results are consistent and effective reforms carried out on the basis of the renewed strategy of reforms and the strong will of the head of state regarding youth policy.

The strategic goal of the state youth policy implemented in the republic is to create conditions for every young person to get a free education, to carry out productive work, to realize themselves and to develop creatively, and to raise the level of social life in all aspects , which made it possible to accumulate valuable experience in our country. At this point, it should be emphasized that, along with state organizations, non-governmental organizations operating in our country are actively involved in the search for talented young people and their support. For example, it is important that one of the main directions of the state policy regarding youth is aimed at supporting the talents and abilities of young people. At the same time, in 2019, by a special decree of the President, the "Hope of the Country" fund under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan was established. Thousands of talented young people through educational grants awarded by this foundation

Our country has the opportunity to study in prestigious universities of developed foreign countries and learn advanced foreign experience. In particular, for the 2022-2023 academic year, 420 students and masters received scholarships and grants for studying abroad from the "Hope of the Country" fund. We can see that these practical works are being carried out in accordance with the goals of the development strategy of New Uzbekistan. Because, according to the 50th goal of the development strategy for 2022-2026, through the "Hope of the Country" fund, to double the scope of sending free and creative thinking young people to study at prestigious foreign universities, in which fifty percent of young people are trained in technical, exact sciences and IT fields and conducting open selection contests for bachelor's, master's and doctoral studies in the most prestigious universities of foreign countries, bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs of foreign higher education institutions important goals such as announcing and conducting an open competition were set by the Foundation for the purpose of participation in educational programs. As a result of the practical work carried out by the Foundation, a number of young people have mastered the knowledge and skills required by the times and are applying them to a number of areas of reforms in our country.

One of the urgent tasks of this organization in the fields of education, science, technology, information technology, culture, art, sports, and entrepreneurship, and the tasks of encouraging and supporting their various initiatives.

         As the President of Uzbekistan stated at the Youth Forum of Uzbekistan, "No matter what reforms we try in our country, we will first of all rely on young people like you, on your energy and determination. As you all know, today we have set ourselves huge goals. We have begun to create the foundations of the Third Renaissance in our Motherland. We consider the family, pre-school education, school and higher education as well as scientific and cultural centers to be the most important links of the Renaissance. For this reason, we are implementing fundamental reforms in these areas. I believe that in creating a new foundation for the development of our country, you, our devoted and patriotic youth, will actively participate and make a worthy contribution."

In the "New Development Strategy of Uzbekistan", which serves as a unique road map of the renewed reforms aimed at realizing the potential of such determined young people.

One of the priority directions of the state policy regarding youth in our country is the issue of ensuring youth employment, providing them with education, and training them in the profession. During the meeting with young people within the framework of the 2021 Youth Forum, the head of state asked for new and very relevant proposals in this regard. In particular, from now on, governors of regions, districts and cities, ministers and responsible leaders should hold regular meetings with young people, governors should develop and implement "road maps " aimed at solving the problems of young people, and report to local councils on this issue every six months. it was decided to give and determine the plans for the next six months.

An important initiative was put forward at the forum, such as the organization of vocational and entrepreneurship training for unemployed and unorganized youth within the framework of the "Youth: 1+1" program. Based on the principle "Each entrepreneur helps young people", the initiative to connect one unemployed youth to one entrepreneur was actively supported by many of our entrepreneurs. The head of state approved this noble action, which can provide employment to at least 500,000 young people.

         Within the framework of this initiative, during the past period, a number of activities have been carried out to train young people, provide them with jobs, and direct them to entrepreneurship, so that the level of unemployment among young people is significantly decreasing.

In this place, in the following years, in order to further accelerate youth reforms, including reducing unemployment, further expanding the scope of vocational training, and providing comprehensive support to talented young people, with the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers dated January 18, 2021 "A youth-oriented state in Uzbekistan Policy Development until 2025" Concept was approved. According to it, as a result of the statements of the state policy on youth, opportunities will be created to further strengthen the economic potential of the country and to widely apply advanced practices.

And also it is expected that by 2030, Uzbekistan will be among the first 30 advanced countries of the world according to the PISA (The Program for International Student Assessment) rating .

At the same time, adaptation of educational programs to international standards (PISA, STEAM), coverage of children in pre-school educational institutions, youth comprehensive schools and higher educational institutions will be gradually increased due to the expansion of opportunities for non-state educational institutions. In particular, 80 percent of children under 3-7 years of age in the republic are enrolled in pre-school education organizations.

To increase the cultural level of young people, the number of libraries, theaters, cinemas, museums, parks and other cultural institutions will be gradually increased, and the capacity of sports facilities will be increased by 30% by creating conditions for young people to engage in mass sports.

Conditions will be created for youth to engage in public sports in neighborhoods; IT-parks will be established in all regions, Digital technology training centers will be established in districts (cities), about 200,000 young people will be trained on the basis of the "One million Uzbek programmers" project.

Conditions will be created for young people to use high-quality, fast and cheap Internet services, provision of double growth of communication and information services will be the most important results of the "Youth of Uzbekistan - 2025" concept.

         In conclusion, it can be said that by 2030, our country will become one of the "countries with an income above the average", the country's gross domestic product will exceed four thousand dollars per capita, and our economy will double from its current state. The effective implementation of the concept "Youth of Uzbekistan - 2025", which is an important legal basis, is of great importance. The fact that young people of any country have intellectual potential, knowledge and modern profession remains an important factor of the country's development.

Asrorjon Sattorov,

The declaration of independence and the commitment of the Government of Uzbekistan to the ideals of democracy, the choice of a secular path of development of society have gradually made it possible to create equal legal conditions for the existence of religions in general and religious groups in particular.

In the religious sphere, this large-scale work is carried out by the relevant state bodies and civil society institutions and is aimed at ensuring citizens' constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of conscience; strengthening religious pluralism, tolerance and interfaith dialogue.

One of the significant results of joint work is the adoption in December 2018 by the UN General Assembly of a special resolution "Enlightenment and Religious Tolerance".

The adoption of the resolution was a practical implementation of the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, put forward at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly. The main goal of the proposed resolution is "to ensure universal access to education, the elimination of illiteracy and ignorance."

It is noteworthy that the resolution was not only unanimously supported by all UN member states, but also adopted with the co-authorship of over 50 countries. This testifies to the high recognition by the international community of the relevance and timeliness of the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan.

In recent years, significant changes have taken place in Uzbekistan and large-scale reforms have been implemented in many areas, including in the religious and educational sphere.

A number of legislative acts have been adopted aimed at further improving activities in the religious sphere.

In order to deepen the study of Islam and teach its scientific foundations, the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan was created. The Academy specializes in teaching secular and religious knowledge, training qualified personnel in the interpretation of the Koran, Islamic law, religious dogmas and hadiths.

In Uzbekistan, unique mechanisms are used to revive national and religious values, study and promote the rich scientific and spiritual heritage of great ancestors, and strengthen religious tolerance in society. The activities of the Center for Islamic Civilization, international research centers of Imam Bukhari, Imam Termizi, Imam Maturidi, Bahauddin Naqshbandi have been established.

As a result of large-scale reforms and transformations carried out in the religious sphere, the Higher Madrasah Mir Arab in Bukhara, the School of Hadith Studies in Samarkand, the Madrasah of Imam Termizi and the Islamic Institute named after Imam Termizi in Termez began their activities.

In addition, the Charitable Public Fund "Vakf" was established under the Office of Muslims of Uzbekistan, whose tasks include financing work on the reconstruction of mosques, holy places of pilgrimage and visits, other objects, providing material and technical support and providing material support to employees in this field. The Fund received the opportunity to dispose of funds coming to 3 accounts: charitable, vakf and zakat (ushr, fidya, fitr).

In accordance with the adopted legislative acts, in order to further improve the activities of the Committee on Religious Affairs, a new composition of the Council for Religious Affairs has been approved, which is a public advisory body under the Committee.

The activities of the Council are inextricably linked with ensuring freedom of religion in the country, respecting the rights of religious organizations and believers. The initiatives of the members of the Council are fully implemented within the framework of measures taken by the country's leadership in the field of protecting and further strengthening the rights and freedoms of religious movements.

The significance and timeliness of the measures taken by the country's leadership served as the basis for holding the international forum "Dialogue of Declarations" in Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara on May 16-20, 2022. This event was part of the systematic and consistent efforts of Uzbekistan to practically implement the principles and provisions enshrined in the Special Resolution of the UN General Assembly "Enlightenment and Religious Tolerance", adopted in 2018 on the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

It is especially worth noting that at the past 76th session of the UN General Assembly, the "Bukhara Declaration" adopted following the results of this forum was recognized as an official UN document. As an official UN document, the document has been translated into 6 languages and distributed among the UN member states, as well as specialized agencies of the organization.

The second round of the international forum will be held on September 10-13, 2025 with the assistance of several NGOs from the USA. The participants of the event also visited Samarkand, where they got acquainted with the activities of the reconstructed complex of Imam Bukhari.

Uzbekistan has special dates that are closely related to the religious life of believers: these are "Day of Friendship of Peoples", celebrated on July 30, and "International Day of Tolerance", celebrated on November 16. Both of these dates are marked not only by holding events, but also by awarding the corresponding badges - the badge "Khalklar dustligi" ("Friendship of Peoples") has been awarded since 2021, and the badge "Diniy bagrikenklik" ("Religious Tolerance") began to be awarded to distinguished citizens since 2023. Among the awardees are representatives of various religious denominations of Uzbekistan.

At the same time, Uzbekistan attaches great importance to the preservation of religious and spiritual heritage, the enrichment of existing funds, the creation of necessary conditions for local and foreign researchers to work with historical sources, and the comprehensive study of historical and cultural heritage.

Today, in the country, in order to ensure interethnic and interfaith harmony in society, a legislative framework has been created that provides for the observance of the rights and legitimate interests of citizens.

The Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan enshrines the norm on freedom of religion for every person. Attention is also paid to improving and liberalizing national legislation in the field of religion. The procedures for obtaining permission for the production, import and distribution of religious literature have been simplified. The procedure for state registration of religious organizations has been further optimized.

Currently, the new Law "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations" is in force, which contributes to ensuring the constitutional rights of citizens of the country to freedom of conscience and religion.

Noting the fundamental innovations in the Law as a consistent continuation of large-scale reforms in the religious and educational sphere, special attention should be paid, first of all, to the creation of favorable conditions for ensuring freedom of conscience for every person, and clarifying law enforcement practice.

Currently, 2373 religious organizations of 16 religious denominations operate in Uzbekistan. Of these, Muslim organizations - 2174, which is 92 percent of the total number.

There are also 181 Christian organizations, 8 Jewish communities, 7 Baha'i communities, one Krishna society and one Buddhist temple, as well as the interfaith Biblical Society of Uzbekistan operating in Uzbekistan.

Recently, 134 religious organizations have been registered in Uzbekistan, including 3 higher and one secondary specialized Islamic educational institutions in Bukhara, Samarkand and Termez, 105 mosques and 25 non-Islamic organizations of 7 different religious denominations.

At the same time, the national legislation of Uzbekistan does not provide for any restrictions on the number of religious organizations or the terms of their registration.

Religious organizations operating in the republic, along with other public organizations, actively participate in spiritual and educational work, make a significant contribution to improving the spirituality of society, and forming strong beliefs in young people based on patriotism, as well as interfaith and interethnic tolerance.

It should be noted that religious policy in Uzbekistan is based on the principles of the secular nature of the state, religious tolerance and equal treatment of all religions. In the republic, representatives of various nations and ethnic groups professing Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism and other religions carry out their activities on equal terms.

All conditions have been created for adherents of each denomination, allowing them to freely and unhindered practice their religion.

Believers freely pray in mosques, churches, synagogues, observe fasting, and also make pilgrimages. Religious organizations have the right to own territory, publish literature, train their religious ministers, and organize pilgrimages to holy places.

The freedom of religion guaranteed by the national legislation of Uzbekistan has created all the necessary conditions for meeting the religious needs of all citizens - representatives of 136 national and ethnic groups.

Representatives of different faiths freely celebrate all religious holidays. Thus, from year to year, Kurban-Hayit and Ramadan-Hayit are celebrated on an increasingly large scale among Muslims, Easter and Christmas - among Christians, Pesach, Purim and Hanukkah - among Jews, Navruz - among Baha'is, as well as celebrations dedicated to Buddha and Krishna and other major events.

Believers make pilgrimages to holy places: Muslims to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj and Umrah rituals, Christians - to Russia, Greece and Israel, Jews - to Israel.

Over the years of independence, more than 484 thousand Muslims have made pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia, including 188 thousand - Hajj and 296 thousand - Umrah, more than 3.2 thousand Christians and Jews have visited religious shrines in Israel, Russia, Turkey, Italy, Georgia, Greece.

To meet the spiritual needs of society, a large number of religious literature of various orientations is published annually. To fully cover the religious life of Uzbekistan, a number of newspapers and magazines are published, including the newspapers "Islom nuri", "Slovo zhizni", the magazines "Khidoyat", "Vostok svyshe".

Today, in Uzbekistan, on a systematic basis, a set of measures is being carried out to protect the population from the negative influence of destructive ideas that reflect radical extremist ideology and religious fanaticism.

An important step in this direction was the application of acts of pardon. In particular, since 2017, 29 decrees of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan have been adopted on pardoning persons who have committed crimes.

It should be noted that in recent years, within the framework of the consistent policy pursued in Uzbekistan in the field of protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens, special attention is paid to measures aimed at protecting the rights, freedoms, honor and dignity not only of citizens residing in the republic, but also of our compatriots who find themselves in difficult life situations in foreign countries.

Unfortunately, some of our citizens, who have fallen under the influence of alien ideas, believing false promises, in different years joined the ranks of international terrorist organizations in armed conflict zones abroad. Spouses, fathers of some women returned as part of humanitarian operations, died in the course of armed clashes.

Given this circumstance, on the instructions of the President of Uzbekistan, five humanitarian actions "Mehr" were successfully carried out in 2019-2021, within the framework of which more than 500 citizens of the republic, mainly women and children, were returned to their homeland from the zones of armed conflicts in the Middle East and in Afghanistan.

In order to further assist in their speedy reintegration and rehabilitation, a set of measures has been implemented at the state level to provide timely medical, psychological, material and moral assistance. To date, all returnees have been provided with the necessary conditions for their adaptation to peaceful life and integration into society, access to educational and other social programs has been provided, including through the provision of housing and employment.

In general, it is worth noting that an important distinguishing feature of the religious life of modern Uzbekistan is the inadmissibility of establishing advantages or restrictions for one religion in relation to other denominations.

One of the main priorities of reforming society in order to ensure interethnic harmony and religious tolerance is to ensure and protect the rights and freedoms of citizens, their equality before the law regardless of race, gender, nationality, language, social origin, beliefs, religion, personal and social status, which are enshrined in the Constitution of Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan consistently and steadily fulfills its international obligations in the field of ensuring religious freedoms within the framework of international human rights treaties.

As is known, Uzbekistan has acceded to more than 70 major international human rights instruments. Accession to these documents contributed to the creation of an effective human rights protection system in Uzbekistan.

It is important that Uzbekistan's policy in the field of religion, aimed at strengthening interfaith dialogue and religious tolerance in society, is an important factor of stability and security.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that the large-scale reforms being carried out in the country are a clear confirmation of the consistent continuation by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan of the implementation of the principle "Everything in the name of man, in the name of his future."

Committee on Religious Affairs

Prezident Shavkat Mirziyoyev 19-sentabr kuni atrof-muhitni muhofaza qilish va turizm sohalaridagi takliflar taqdimoti bilan tanishdi.

Hozirgi kunda havoni musaffo saqlash, ekologik hodisalarning ta'sirini kamaytirish tobora dolzarb bo'lib bormoqda. Shu bois bu borada ikkita dastur ishlab chiqildi.

Birinchisi - Chang bo'ronlariga qarshi kurashish va ularning oqibatlarini yumshatish bo'yicha 2024-2030-yillarga mo'ljallangan milliy dasturdir. Bu hujjatda “Yevro-4” standartidan past toifadagi yoqilg'ini sotish va undan foydalanishni bosqichma-bosqich to'liq taqiqlash nazarda tutiladi. Buning uchun Buxoro va Farg'ona neftni qayta ishlash zavodlari yuqori sifatli yoqilg'i ishlab chiqarish bo'yicha modernizatsiya qilinadi.

Ikkinchisi - Toshkent shahrida atmosfera havosi sifatini yaxshilashga qaratilgan chora-tadbirlar dasturi bo'lib, unga ko'ra, kelgusi 5 yilda poytaxtimiz va unga tutash Toshkent viloyati tumanlarida 441 gektar “yashil belbog'” va bog'lar tashkil qilinadi.

Sanitar tozalash ishlarini tartibga solish maqsadida mavjud markaz negizida Chiqindilarni boshqarish va sirkulyar iqtisodiyotni rivojlantirish agentligini tuzish taklif etilmoqda. Sanitar tozalash korxonalarining samaradorlik ko'rsatkichlariga qarab, uchta toifaga ajratgan holda reyting tizimi joriy qilinadi.

Yangi quriladigan, balandligi 12 metrdan yoki umumiy maydoni 500 kvadrat metrdan ortiq bo'lgan binolarni loyihalashtirishda unga tutash hududlarning kamida 25 foizini ko'kalamzorlashtirish talabi qo'yiladi. Shuningdek, atrof-muhitga zarari ko'p sanoat korxonalari ham “yashil belbog'”lar barpo etish majburiyatini oladi.

Ekologik huquqqbuzarliklarning oldini olish, bu borada jamoatchilik nazoratini kuchaytirish masalalariga ham e'tibor qaratildi. Faol va jonkuyar insonlarni rag'batlantirish maqsadida “O'zbekiston Respublikasida xizmat ko'rsatgan ekolog” faxriy unvonini ta'sis etish taklifi bildirildi.

Atrof-muhit bilan bog'liq bo'lgan masalalar bo'yicha qarorlar qabul qilish jarayonida jamoatchilikning axborot olish imkoniyati, ishtiroki va odil sudlovga erishishish imkoniyati to'g'risidagi Orxus konvensiyasiga qo'shilish masalasi ko'rib chiqildi.

Ma'muriy javobgarlik to'g'risidagi kodeksga qurilish maydonlarida atmosfera havosini muhofaza qilish talablariga rioya qilmaslik bo'yicha modda kiritish maqsadga muvofiqligi aytildi. Shuningdek, daraxtlarni kesish va qasddan quritish, daryo o'zanlaridan noqonuniy qum-shag'al qazib olish, chiqindilarni belgilanmagan joylarga tashlash kabilar uchun jarimalarni oshirish va qat'iylashtirish choralari ko'riladi.

Vazirlar Mahkamasining 2019-yil 27-maydagi qarori bilan respublikada ekologik markirovkalash tizimi joriy etilgan. Endi ISO 14024 xalqaro standartiga muvofiq, “Yashil belgi” nomi ostida mahsulot va xizmatlarni ixtiyoriy ekologik markirovkalash yo'lga qo'yiladi. 2 ming 336 ta xo'jalik yurituvchi subyektlarda avtomatik monitoring stansiyalari, chang-gaz tozalash uskunalari va suv tozalash inshootlarini o'rnatish bo'yicha tarmoq jadvallari tasdiqlanadi.

Ekologiya vazirligi huzurida jamoatchilik nazorati ostida boshqariladigan va yuridik shaxs maqomiga ega bo'lmagan “Yashil xayriya jamg'armasi” tashkil etiladi. Elektron xarid ilovalarida “Yashil to'lov” ixtiyoriy ustama turi ochiladi.

Sohadagi yana bir muammo yovvoyi hayvonlarni asrash bilan bog'liq. Ularni xonadonlarda boqish huquqiy jihatdan tartibga solinmagan. Shu bois endi yovvoyi hayvonlarni uy sharoitida, sirk va shapitolarda saqlash hamda tomoshalarda foydalanish taqiqlanadi. Jismoniy shaxslar ixtiyoridagi hamda sirklarda saqlanuvchi bunday jonzotlar hayvonot bog'laridagi reabilitatsiya markazlariga, okeanariumlar, pitomnik va ilmiy-tadqiqot muassasalariga topshirilishi belgilanmoqda.

Taqdimotda tibbiy turizmni rivojlantirish chora-tadbirlari ham muhokama qilindi.

Shu maqsadda O'zbekiston bu yo'nalishda Markaziy Osiyoning “chorlovchi nuqtasi” sifatida targ'ib qilinadi. “Tibbiy xizmatlar mehmondo'stligi” dasturi amalga oshiriladi. Tibbiy va sog'lomlashtirish muassasalari faoliyati rag'batlantirilib, ularning yagona reyestri ishga tushiriladi. Mehmonxonalar kabi yulduzli sanatoriylar faoliyati yo'lga qo'yiladi.

Davlatimiz rahbari bular bo'yicha hujjat loyihalarini puxta ishlab chiqish va ijrosini samarali tashkil etish bo'yicha ko'rsatmalar berdi.

The evolution of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) has attracted particular attention from the international expert community, especially in the context of sustainable development, where Uzbekistan’s accession in 2019 became a catalyst for creating new opportunities for joint progress among Turkic countries.

Originally established on October 3, 2009, as the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States, the organization has undergone significant institutional evolution and was officially renamed the Organization of Turkic States at the 8th Summit in Istanbul on November 12, 2021. This decision reflected not only the deepening interaction among member states but also their shared aspiration to develop a collective approach to contemporary risks and challenges related to the sustainable development of the Turkic world—a role in which Uzbekistan soon assumed a prominent position.

Uzbekistan’s policy within the OTS has been primarily manifested in the economic sphere, where deeper integration has become not only a sign of growing mutual trust but also a practical foundation for jointly ensuring stability and sustainable development.

By 2024, mutual trade among OTS member states exceeded $45 billion, and the combined GDP of the five member states reached $1.9 trillion, demonstrating increasing economic interdependence. According to data from the Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR), Uzbekistan’s trade turnover with OTS countries grew from $3.34 billion in 2016 to $9.4 billion in 2023, reaching $10 billion by 2024—nearly triple the figure from seven years earlier.

This dynamic growth in economic ties has not only strengthened mutual interest among OTS countries in regional stability but also laid a solid foundation for a new approach to security—one actively promoted by Uzbekistan in its foreign policy.

An analysis of initiatives put forward by President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev at OTS summits confirms Tashkent’s consistent and systematic approach to strengthening regional security. In place of the traditional military-political dimension, Uzbekistan advocates a model in which security is understood as the outcome of sustainable development, interconnectedness, and long-term, structured cooperation.

This approach is embodied in the following strategic directions, covering key aspects of contemporary security:

First, Uzbekistan was among the first in the region to propose cooperation in responding to systemic threats. During the COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020), Tashkent proposed establishing a permanent mechanism for epidemiological surveillance, a coordination group under the OTS Secretariat, and partnership arrangements with the World Health Organization (WHO).

Following the earthquake in Türkiye (March 2023), Tashkent initiated the creation of an OTS platform for practical cooperation on disaster prevention and response, as well as the development of a multilateral agreement on risk reduction and the establishment of a Natural Disaster Monitoring Center in Tashkent.
All these measures aim at early warning, reducing vulnerability, and enhancing collective resilience—key elements of preventive security.

Second, Uzbekistan advances sustainable development through deeper economic interconnectivity.

In transport, Uzbekistan proposed joint use of the multimodal corridor “Tashkent–Karakalpakstan–Aktau–Baku–Tbilisi–Kars–Istanbul,” implementation of a “single window” system and “green corridors” along the Trans-Caspian route, and full digitalization of road transport through the eTIR system. In 2022, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan became the first countries to successfully carry out a transport operation using electronic eTIR carnets.

In food security, Uzbekistan proposed developing a multilateral agreement on supply systems and cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

In the environmental sphere, Tashkent proposed establishing a Turkic environmental protection body headquartered in the Aral Sea region, forming an Environmental Council, and adopting a “Turkic Green Energy Transition” concept.
All these initiatives create an infrastructure-economic foundation for security, reducing dependence on external shocks and strengthening regional autonomy.

Third, Tashkent’s key contribution lies in promoting the institutionalization of the OTS. At the Samarkand Summit (November 2022), Uzbekistan proposed creating dedicated ministerial-level committees on energy, IT, healthcare, and other sectors.

Later, Uzbekistan initiated hosting the headquarters of strategically important OTS bodies in Tashkent, including the Emergency Response Center, the Council of Railway Administrations, the Turkic Investment Bank, the Research Center for Human Capital Development, and the Academy of Space Research.

During Uzbekistan’s OTS Chairmanship (2022–2023), over 100 events were held, and new cooperation platforms were established, including the Organization of Trade Unions of Turkic States and the Institute for Drought Prevention.
These measures enhance joint preparedness and rapid response capabilities to contemporary challenges, strengthen trust among member states, and support sustainable development.

Fourth, alongside deepening cooperation in humanitarian, economic, and legal spheres, Uzbekistan consistently develops avenues of interaction related to coordinating responses to threats to regional stability.

For example, at the Shusha Summit in July 2024, Uzbekistan proposed formulating unified OTS approaches to the Afghan issue in light of the new regional realities. Such initiatives reflect Tashkent’s commitment to consolidating foreign policy positions and developing a coordinated strategy on the most sensitive issues of regional stability.

Thus, Uzbekistan’s initiatives within the OTS form a comprehensive, prevention-oriented model of sustainable development, in which humanitarian, economic, environmental, and political components are viewed as interdependent. Tashkent’s approach not only aligns with current trends in international relations but also creates conditions for strengthening the strategic autonomy of the Turkic world amid global fragmentation.

However, it should be noted that this model is not developed in isolation. On the contrary, it is organically complemented by the OTS’s external openness and its aspiration to integrate into the international architecture of relations through cooperation with key global and regional institutions. This helps avoid duplication, enhances the legitimacy of OTS initiatives, and aligns them with international standards.

In this process, Uzbekistan plays a significant role by consistently promoting synergy between the OTS and multilateral platforms, particularly in epidemiological, environmental, and humanitarian areas.

The OTS maintains especially close cooperation with the United Nations and its specialized agencies. Uzbekistan’s 2021 initiative to establish a Turkic environmental body under UN auspices, headquartered in the Aral Sea region, directly integrates regional efforts into the global environmental agenda.

Proposals for cooperation with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (2022) and collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) (2020) further demonstrate the desire to leverage the UN’s expertise and institutional capacity to implement homegrown security mechanisms.

Additionally, Tashkent initiated partnerships with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) in the context of establishing the Natural Disaster Monitoring Center (2023), underscoring the OTS’s commitment to the principles of sustainable development and preventive security enshrined in the UN 2030 Agenda.

Simultaneously, the OTS is expanding its international presence: in 2024, the organization obtained observer status in the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), submitted similar applications to the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and strengthened ties with the EU and OSCE through its European office in Budapest. At the Budapest Informal Summit (May 2025)—the first ever organized by an observer country—the Budapest Declaration was adopted, reaffirming the OTS’s commitment to combating terrorism, cyber threats, and organized crime.

This foreign policy orientation is also confirmed by assessments from international analytical circles.

According to an analytical report by the Global Security Research Center at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), the OTS demonstrates a unique model of regional cooperation that combines cultural identity with pragmatic measures to reduce vulnerability to transboundary threats. Experts from the “AIR Center” (Azerbaijan) note that for Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan, the OTS has become a strategic shield against external threats and a platform for asserting independence.

Thus, the OTS not only strengthens the collective resilience of its member states to external challenges but also creates a space for developing joint approaches to implementing projects aimed at the sustainable development of Turkic countries.

In this regard, Uzbekistan consistently promotes a comprehensive, prevention-oriented model for addressing risks and factors undermining sustainable development, in which traditional threats are complemented by non-traditional challenges—from pandemics and natural disasters to destructive ideologies. Particular emphasis is placed on building trust through humanitarian diplomacy, youth initiatives, cultural rapprochement, and institutional cooperation.

In the context of regional stability, Uzbekistan advocates for unified approaches to the Afghan issue, supports counter-terrorism and anti-organized crime efforts, and initiates mechanisms for collective crisis response.

The adoption of the Charter of Turkic Peace at the 11th OTS Summit in Bishkek, along with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s proposal at the same forum to sign a Treaty on Strategic Partnership, Eternal Friendship, and Brotherhood among Turkic States, became pivotal factors in shaping a long-term architecture of trust and shared responsibility.

Overall, Uzbekistan’s initiatives within the OTS represent a comprehensive strategy aimed at creating an alternative model for ensuring sustainable regional development, grounded in the cultural-historical commonality and economic interconnectedness of Turkic countries.

Alisher Kadyrov,

Despite its limited access to the world's major ports, Uzbekistan can fully develop its transportation and logistics industry through the formation of land transport corridors, developing them throughout the Eurasian region. Being located in the center of the crossroads of trade routes during the Great Silk Road, Uzbekistan has a unique opportunity to become an important provider of logistics of cargo flows between China and Southern Europe, on the one hand, and the Indian Peninsula and CIS, Northern Europe, on the other hand.
Landlocked countries account for less than 1% of world exports. Moreover, the share of Central Asian countries in the global export of transport services is very small and is represented in the following proportions: Uzbekistan, which has access to the sea only through two countries – 0.1%, Kazakhstan – 0.3%, Tajikistan – 0.007%, Kyrgyzstan – 0.03%.
However, the transport complex of Uzbekistan maintains a dominant position in foreign trade in services and is one of the main sources of foreign currency inflow into the country. Transport services in the republic form 43% of the total volume of the country's service exports and 65% of the balance of foreign trade in services. Uzbekistan's transport service exports in 2022 amounted to $2.2 billion, and the positive balance of foreign trade in transport services amounted to $1.7 billion.


Figure 1. Uzbekistan’s share in global exports of transport services in 2022, %


Calculated according to UNCTAD and Statistics Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan
One of the main problems of Uzbekistan's international freight transport is the underutilization of its export and transit potential, which reduces revenues from the export of transport and logistics services. For example, when comparing actual exports in tons, Uzbekistan is behind Russia by 20 times, Turkey by 10 times, and Kazakhstan by 9 times.
In 2023, the volume of interstate cargo transportation in the Republic of Uzbekistan amounted to 62 million tons, which is 16% higher than in 2022. The largest share in the volume of export-import cargo transportation of the republic falls on Kazakhstan (30%), to a lesser extent on Russia (26%), China (10%), and Afghanistan (4%). Rail transport accounts for the largest share (76%) of Uzbekistan's international cargo transportation (export, import, and transit). The export of transport services includes the transit of goods through the territory of Uzbekistan with a total share in the export of railway services of up to 45%.
The unrealized transit crossroads of Eurasia
One of the main global logistics trends is trade between China and the EU. According to the ERAI review, in 2023, the trade turnover between them amounted to 738 million euros, and according to EUROSTAT exceeded 104 million tons. In the current realities, rail transportation between Europe and China is carried out along the Eurasian route through the territories of Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus; Mongolia and Russia (Naushki border crossing), as well as along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route – TITR (Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Black Sea).
Part of the cargo flows that previously passed through the northern corridor has been redirected to TITR. However, the Eurasian route continues to occupy a leading position. In 2023, a total of 674 thousand TEU passed along this route, which is 1.1% less than in 2022 (681 thousand TEU), but at the same time, in the first half of 2024, the volume of container traffic by China-Europe trains along TITR increased by 12.8% with a volume of 196.6 thousand TEU.
As can be seen, Uzbekistan does not fit into the list of major transit countries between China and the EU in the "Eurasian" and "Trans-Caspian" directions and claims only a part of the target markets mainly in direction along the Southern Corridor through Turkmenistan, Iran, and Turkey.
So, a limited number of international transport corridors pass through the territory of Uzbekistan. The main countries forming the transit of Uzbekistan are neighboring Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, as well as Russia, which is considered an important trading partner for the Central Asian countries. The transport isolation of the region, undiversified transport routes, and limited export deliveries mainly in the northern direction lead to a loss of profit due to the sale of domestic goods mainly to neighboring countries at a fairly low cost.
Transit Priorities
To sell domestic products at competitive world prices, Uzbekistan needs to develop additional export trade routes to other countries, such as China, the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, India, Pakistan, and others. This requires competitive and efficient transport and transit corridors that allow for increasing the volume of transit cargo through the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Therefore, the priority directions identified by 2030 for the development of international transport corridors and bringing the volume of transit traffic through the territory of the republic to 16 million tons include the task of increasing revenues from the export of transport services. The key task in this case is to increase the volume of multimodal cargo transportation in the directions of China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan (Kashgar–Irkeshtam–Osh–Andijan–Tashkent) and Uzbekistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan (Termez – Hairatan – Logar – Karachi).
China - Kyrgyzstan - Uzbekistan. The volume of cargo transportation of the PRC with such countries as Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan in 2023 amounted to almost 50 million tons, with the main volume of cargo transportation carried out by sea transport. Studies have shown that it is possible to attract part of the cargo to the "China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan" route, in the amount of about 10 million tons, and with the stable organization of cargo transportation along the route, the volume of cargo transportation by 2040 may increase by 4 times.
Uzbekistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan. The geographical proximity to Afghanistan, and further south to Pakistan and India, gives Uzbekistan the opportunity to unlock its existing potential and provide cargo transportation services in export, import, and transit traffic in the direction of South Asian countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India), without competing for existing transport and trade corridors. Therefore, Uzbekistan is extremely interested in trade and transport cooperation with Afghanistan and in the implementation of the Trans-Afghan Railway project "Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan." This road will allow establishing a direct rail link between Uzbekistan and Pakistan through the territory of Afghanistan with further access to the ports of the Indian Ocean.
The importance and effectiveness of the "Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan" (UAP) project can be significantly increased if it is implemented in parallel with the project of building the "Uzbekistan – Kyrgyzstan – China" (CKU) railway line, which is the shortest way to connect China with Pakistan and India and will allow a multiple increase in the volume of traffic from/to China to the countries of Central and South Asia.
In this regard, within the framework of two strategic projects UAP and CKU, the ongoing activities on formation of new uninterrupted perspective multimodal transport corridors in the region are relevant. In November 2023 in Tashkent within the framework of the ECO Ministerial Meeting the Protocol of the multilateral meeting on establishment of the international multimodal route between Asia-Europe through “Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Türkiye”, was signed.

In November 2023, a Memorandum on mutual Understanding on the creation and development of international transport corridor “Belarus-Russia-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan” with access to the ports of the Indian Ocean was signed in Tashkent. In April of this year, Termez hosted meetings of transportation agencies and railway administrations of the countries-participants of this corridor, which resulted in the adoption of the Road Map, including the main activities for further development of the corridor.
It should be noted that the abovementioned documents are open for other interested countries to join the transport corridors.
Multifaceted Transport Policy
It should be noted that the policy of forming international transport corridors in Uzbekistan is somewhat different from the policies of several other countries and is aimed at attracting as many countries as possible to the active development of a branched network of transport corridors that ensure efficient foreign trade cargo transportation. As emphasized by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, at the SCO Summit in Astana on July 4 of this year, "the multivariance of transport corridors is the most important condition for the sustainable development of our entire region."
However, the effective functioning of various corridor options is hindered by the lack of unified Cargo Transportation Rules, a unified Transport Document Standard that would be used on all types of transport, as well as the absence of digital platforms for providing customers with freight transportation services remotely from anywhere in the world. All this slows down the transport integration of Asian countries in the context of developing routes between Central and South Asia, and China, on the one hand, and the integration of Asian countries with European communications on the other.
To solve the problems of different legal and technical standards in freight transportation between European and Asian countries, which hinder the full-fledged transportation of goods without delays, it makes sense to develop new services for logistics and cargo transportation market participants, while applying modern technologies.
These include the production of universal wagons with variable gauge axle systems at the country's industrial facilities, with their further use both in Uzbekistan and southern countries, China and others, as well as the development of a digital platform for online registration of cargo transportation and transportation documents, which will lead to additional revenues from the export of transport services.
In this regard, the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, announced in June at the OTS Summit on the formation of a Council of Railway Administrations within the framework of the organization and the placement of its directorate in Tashkent, is relevant. The Council could act as a regulator for the integration of the railways of China, the Asia-Pacific region, South and Southeast Asia with the countries of Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the EU.
To assess the prospects for the coordinated development of transport corridors, a forecast of foreign trade volume was made based on an analysis of panel data using a combined model of two directions of international cargo transportation: China-EU and China-CA. The results of this forecast showed that by 2050, the volume of trade between China and the EU will increase by 4.5 times compared to 2023, and between China and CA - by 5 times. At the same time, the total volume of trade between South Asian countries (India and Pakistan) with trading partners (EU, Russia, China, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan) will increase by 3.8 times compared to 2023.

In the near future, a clearly defined strategy for integrating Central Asian countries into the international transport network can help solve the region's problems and lead to an increase in the export of transport and logistics services and attract cargo flow, and later passenger flow, to the territory of the Asia-Pacific region, South and Central Asia. As the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev said: "We are open to cooperation and ready to become a reliable partner in creating new transport corridors and integration projects."

Dildora Ibragimova,
Center for the Study of Transport and Logistics Development Problems under the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan