Uzbekistan is a country of youth. According to statistical data, about 60% of Uzbekistan's population is under the age of 30. Thus, over 18 million residents of Uzbekistan are young people, and by 2040 this number could reach 25 million. This creates unique opportunities and specific challenges for the state in terms of providing education, employment, and social integration for the youth. On February 21 of this year, a Presidential Decree approved the State Program for the implementation of the "Uzbekistan - 2030" Strategy in the Year of Support for Youth and Business. It outlines a number of tasks aimed at addressing the problems faced by young people and realizing their potential.

In recent years, Uzbekistan has prioritized creating favorable conditions to ensure the rights and interests of the younger generation. This includes providing them with access to quality education, meaningful employment opportunities, and avenues to realize their talents and abilities. Significant efforts have been made in this direction as part of state policy.

A vivid confirmation of this is the adoption and consistent implementation of over 100 legislative acts concerning this sphere within a short period. The inclusion of specific articles on the rights and interests of the younger generation in the updated Constitution of Uzbekistan undoubtedly opens new opportunities for further strengthening the legal framework and elevating practical work in this area to a new level.

During the past period, a completely new vertical management system for working with youth has been established.

In all neighborhoods (mahallas) of the country, youth leaders are active. Thanks to this system, over 100 different opportunities have been created for youth within the neighborhoods.

A system called the "Youth Notebook" has been established, through which over 1.1 million young people have received assistance across
25 different areas totaling 1.3 trillion UZS. Specifically, tens of thousands of students from low-income families have had their tuition fees covered under fee-based contracts.

The number of higher educational institutions in the country has almost tripled, reaching 199, and enrollment has increased from 9 to
38 percent. This expansion opens up extensive opportunities for youth to acquire modern knowledge and professions.

In the country, 210 youth industrial and entrepreneurial zones have been established, with 2,500 projects implemented amounting to 4 trillion UZS. As a result, the number of young entrepreneurs has doubled, surpassing 200,000.

In recent years, more than 750 young people who make a significant contribution to the prosperity of the Motherland have received state awards.

It is heartening that the youth of the country are effectively utilizing the opportunities provided and inspiring with their achievements in various fields.

For further effective implementation of State youth policy in Uzbekistan, it is necessary to continue effective reforms to create a solid organizational, legal and institutional framework.

First of all, work will continue to develop new constitutional norms on the rights of young people in existing legislation.

At the same time, in the coming period, special attention will be paid to the qualitative execution of tasks defined in the State Program on the implementation of the Strategy "Uzbekistan - 2030" in the Year of Support for Youth and Business.

Thus, every region, ministry and department has begun to introduce a new approach to work with young people. The improvement of scientific and analytical work on the study of youth problems and the training of promising personnel is considered relevant.

Today, rapid measures are being taken to increase the number of young people learning foreign languages under the "Ibrat Farzandlari" project
to 1 million, and the number of young readers under the "Mutolaa" program up to 1.5 million. Additional infrastructure is being built in the regions for this purpose. At the same time, special attention should be paid to the creation of broader conditions for the meaningful organization of leisure activities and the realization of young people's talents and abilities.

Thus, the systemic reforms carried out in Uzbekistan have led to significant achievements in the field of education and the spiritual, intellectual, physical and moral development of young people. The increase in the number of educational institutions, the improvement in the quality of education, the active participation of young people in scientific and cultural events, and the implementation of social projects - all this is evidence of positive changes and the strengthening of the foundations for the harmonious development of the younger generation.

Bekzod Jurabayev,
Chief scientific researcher of the Institute of Legislation and Legal Policy under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Chairman of the Council of Young Scientists of the Institute

How candidates are selected in Uzbekistan through a single portal of vacancies of state bodies and organizations
In Uzbekistan, electronic document management systems are being implemented, the range of public services is expanding, human resource management processes are being optimized, and a unified public sector ecosystem is being developed through integration and other measures.
In recent years we have seen the adoption of several key strategies, including the National Strategy of Action on Five Priority Directions of Development of Uzbekistan for 2017-2021, the "Digital Uzbekistan - 2030" Strategy, the "New Uzbekistan Development Strategy for 2022-2026," and the "Uzbekistan - 2030" Strategy. These strategies aim to drive digital transformation across the national economy, industry, and society as a whole.
Digitalization has also impacted the public civil service. Notably, the decree of the President of Uzbekistan "On measures for the radical improvement of personnel policy and the system of public civil service in the Republic of Uzbekistan" dated October 3, 2019, established the Agency for the Development of Public Service under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ARGOS). ARGOS is responsible for implementing a unified state policy in personnel management and human resource development within state bodies and organizations.
ARGOS was tasked with implementing innovative personnel management and human resource development methods based on principles of openness, professionalism, and accountability. This includes introducing a system of measurable indicators (key performance indicators) for evaluating public civil servants and analyzing their performance, systematically identifying and attracting qualified specialists (including those abroad), and widely involving talented youth and women in public service. Additionally, ARGOS organizes an open, competitive selection process for the most promising personnel in public service.
Including the implementation of an open, independent competitive selection system announced through a single portal for public vacancies (vacancy.argos.uz). Previously, entering public service required visiting various agencies, submitting resumes, and waiting for responses.
Today, candidates can log into their personal account on the vacancies portal, select a suitable position, and submit an application. The platform provides information on the candidate's status and upcoming selection stages. The open competitive selection involves stages such as application acceptance, verification of qualification requirements, testing, and interviews. Not all candidates pass all stages on their first attempt.
The competitive selection process is based on meritocracy, ensuring that only the most deserving candidates are chosen, thus promoting transparency and fairness.
As of now, more than 188,000 competitive selections have been announced on the vacancy.argos.uz platform, with over 2.9 million applications submitted and 69,163 candidates successfully hired.
Another significant change in state personnel administration is the formation and management of the National Personnel Reserve using modern information systems. ARGOS is responsible for this task, and continuous work is underway to develop and enrich the National Personnel Reserve.
Managing the National Personnel Reserve involves more than just record-keeping; it includes comprehensive measures to prepare personnel for managerial roles. Each person in the Reserve receives an individual development plan for the certain period of time, which includes professional development courses and internships in public bodies. Candidates should regularly report on their progress, providing additional insights into their suitability for managerial positions.
All these activities are managed through the unified information portals: my.argos.uz for personal users, hrm.argos.uz for personnel departments of ministries and agencies, kadrlar.argos.uz for ARGOS performance monitoring, and zaxira.argos.uz for individual performance data and activities.
A third key change is reflected in the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On measures to improve the human resource management system in Republican and local executive bodies" dated September 22, 2023. It stipulates that from November 1, 2023, all information and documents related to human resource management in these bodies will be maintained on the electronic platform hrm.argos.uz.
Starting from this date, all ministries and agencies are required to conduct personnel administration documentation exclusively on hrm.argos.uz. This new system enables comprehensive monitoring and analysis of personnel management, providing accurate information on vacancies, employee numbers, career movements, and compliance with public service legislation.
Ultimately, this platform acts as a mirror, reflecting both the successes and shortcomings of personnel management departments, allowing ARGOS to respond promptly, prevent, and address issues in public civil service.
In conclusion, digital technologies play a crucial role in development and should be a primary focus for building a sustainable economic and public sector. Expanded digitalization and digital transformation, along with investments in the digital ecosystem, IT infrastructure, and electronic services, will drive further modernization of the national public service system and accelerate growth in various sectors.

On August 5, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev familiarized himself with the presentation of measures aimed at developing competition.

The ongoing efforts to reduce the state presence in the economy and curb large monopolies have a positive impact on the competitive environment. In particular, over the last five years the competitive environment has improved in more than 25 goods. Exclusive rights that restricted competition in 7 types of activities have been abolished. The number of enterprises with state participation decreased by 42 percent, while the number of private business entities increased by 1.6 times.

Last year the Law "On Competition" was adopted in a new version. The Committee for Competition Development and Consumer Protection was given additional effective powers. According to the studies conducted on this basis, in some organizations there are such phenomena as anticompetitive decision-making, direct contracts, use of dominant position in trade.

In this regard, a Competition Development Framework has been developed to enhance the coverage and effectiveness of competition in this area. This concept defines further tasks to reduce government involvement in the economy, liberalize market access and create a level playing field for entrepreneurs.

Thus, it is planned to abolish regulations and redundant requirements that impede the free access of business entities to markets. It is envisaged to introduce relaxations aimed at reducing the regulatory burden, in particular, permitting procedures and licenses will be replaced by compulsory liability insurance.

Independent market regulators will be introduced in the spheres of natural monopolies. The participation of natural monopoly entities will be limited in commodity markets related to natural monopolies and where there is an opportunity to develop competition.

The scale of direct public procurement will be reduced, and it will be completely switched to competitive methods. It is envisaged to abolish the provision of state aid of an individual nature that restricts competition, including exclusive rights, privileges, preferences and relaxations.

By means of mutual integration of information systems of state bodies, digital monitoring of all links in the chain of pricing of socially important products will be established. A system of non-disclosure and encouragement of persons who have provided information on cases of anticompetitive agreements and actions, collusions will be introduced.

In general, as a result of the implementation of this concept, measures will be taken to gradually eliminate 17 types of state monopoly in a number of areas, such as energy, oil and gas sector, water management, road construction, railroad and airport services. Anti-competitive actions in public procurement will be curbed and transparency of these processes will be ensured. Commodity exchanges will increase supply and expand the choice opportunities for buyers.

The President gave additional instructions to continue work in this area, to ensure free market principles, and to develop entrepreneurship. The need to reduce the state's share in the economy and to gradually transfer certain functions to the private sector was emphasized. The task has been set to constantly analyze the state of competition on commodity, financial and digital markets and to make proposals to improve procedures.

Over the last three years, over 2,000 acts contradicting the competition law have been identified locally. In most cases, these are documents of local khokimiyats and ministries. In this regard, it was noted that it is necessary to intensify the work of territorial departments of the Committee for Competition Development and improve the qualification of personnel.

It was also pointed out the importance of increasing openness and strengthening the work on publicizing the activities of the Committee. It was emphasized that this is important to prevent violations of the law and to create a transparent environment.

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,

During a telephone conversation between President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of the European Council António Costa on January 23, topical issues on the bilateral and regional agenda were discussed.

The President of Uzbekistan sincerely congratulated António Costa on his election as the head of the European Council and wished him great success.

It was noted with deep satisfaction that the Uzbek-European multifaceted cooperation has reached the highest level in recent years and continues to develop dynamically in all priority dimensions.

Active contacts and exchanges at different levels have been carried out. In 2024, Uzbekistan's trade turnover with the EU countries exceeded 6 billion euros, the portfolio of projects with European companies reached 30 billion euros.

Last year, an agreement on strategic partnership in the field of critical mineral resources was signed. There is fruitful cooperation in transportation and digital interconnectivity, green economy, culture and other areas.

Confidence was expressed in the early signing of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the European Union, which will give a serious impetus to the development of the entire range of relations.

The Uzbek leader and the head of the European Council also exchanged views on the international agenda and regional cooperation. Joint plans to prepare and hold the first “Central Asia-EU” summit in the city of Samarkand in April this year were discussed.

At the invitation of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will pay an official visit to our country from June 30 to July 1.

The program of the high-ranking guest's stay in Tashkent envisages talks at the highest level.

The agenda includes issues of further expansion and strengthening of Uzbekistan's multifaceted cooperation with the UN and its institutions, as well as topical aspects of global policy and regional interaction. Special attention will be paid to supporting measures to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in our country.

During the visit, the UN Secretary-General will also visit a number of industrial and social sites, hold bilateral meetings and events.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

In recent years, Uzbekistan has demonstrated significant progress in the field of international tourism, which pays special attention to cooperation with the CIS countries. Historically, this region has close cultural, economic and humanitarian ties with Uzbekistan, which contributes to the active exchange of tourists and the development of joint initiatives in the tourism industry. According to statistics for January–August 2024 and 2025, there has been a steady increase in the total number of tourists from 6.7 million visiting Uzbekistan to more than 7.5 million with an annual increase of 15-20% per year. By the end of 2025, more than 11 million foreign tourists are expected to arrive.
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan remain the most significant sources of tourists among the CIS countries. In 2024, Kazakhstan sent more than 2.1 million tourists to Uzbekistan in January – August, Kyrgyzstan — about 1.78 million, and Tajikistan — almost 1.6 million. In 2025, Kyrgyzstan slightly surpassed Kazakhstan in the number of visitors — 2.16 million against 1.77 million, which indicates a positive trend towards strengthening bilateral ties in the field of tourism. Tajikistan also showed an increase of almost 1.7 million tourists. In addition to the traditional leaders, the number of tourists from Turkmenistan increased significantly in January–August, from 125,000 in 2024 to 243,000 in 2025. This growth confirms the growing attractiveness of Uzbekistan as a tourist destination for all neighboring countries.
The CIS countries with fewer tourists, such as Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Ukraine and Russia, also note positive dynamics. The increase in the number of Russian tourists in January –August is particularly noteworthy — from 587,000 in 2024 to more than 663,000 in 2025, reflecting the strengthening of tourist and cultural ties between the two countries. The growth of the tourist flow from the CIS is largely due to Uzbekistan's comprehensive work to improve infrastructure, simplify visa procedures, and actively promote travel brands. The development of transport links, the introduction of modern services and the expansion of the range of tourism products make Uzbekistan more and more attractive to visitors from neighboring countries.
Uzbekistan is the historical center and pearl of the Great Silk Road, the crossroads of world cultures and civilizations. There are more than 8,000 cultural heritage sites in the country. 209 of them are part of four museum cities included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The magnificent monuments of the ancient cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva attract many tourists who want to get acquainted with the rich heritage of the region. Samarkand is the ancient capital of the empire of the great commander Amir Temur, which houses the most beautiful Registan ensemble, the Ulugbek Observatory and the Imam Al-Bukhari complex, the most important for Muslims, the fabulous city of Bukhara, famous throughout the Islamic world with its Bahauddin Naqshbandi complex, the Ark fortress and the Poi Kalyan ensemble, the capital of the Khorezmshah State Khiva with a museum city open-air Ichan-Kala, and of course the city of Shakhrisabz, where Amir Temur was born and built the Ok-Saroy palace there.
Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, is the geographical center and the largest hub of Central Asia, a connecting bridge between East and West. Tourists can get great emotions and impressions from their stay in Tashkent, which has many interesting sights, including the architecture of modernity and the ancient East. Uzbekistan is not only a historical city, but also a huge number of natural attractions: the picturesque mountains of the Western Tien Shan and Pamir Alai, mysterious caves, the endless Kyzylkum desert, a huge number of lakes, the Ustyurt plateau and the Aral Sea in Karakalpakstan. It should be noted that Uzbekistan occupies high places in the world tourism rankings, in the field of security, historical attractions, family tourism, gastronomy, etc. There is a tourist police in all tourist centers of the country, thanks to which all foreign visitors feel safe at all times. At the same time, over the past 10 years, Uzbekistan has not had any incidents related to the safety of tourists in the country, which could negatively affect the tourist image of Uzbekistan. Great attention is paid to youth tourism in the country, special tours of historical subjects, ecotourism, extreme tourism, and industrial tourism have been formed to visit various production facilities, which also serve as their subsequent professional orientation.
The Government of Uzbekistan has identified several territories with high tourism potential as free tourist zones created specifically for businesses operating in the tourism sector. Conditions have been created to attract foreign investment in the tourism sector. To encourage investors, various incentives have been introduced for the hotel sector, the construction of tourist complexes and infrastructure. Business representatives from the CIS countries are the most active investors, creating both enterprises with 100 foreign investments and joint ventures in the tourism industry of Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan invites Russian investors to take an active part in joint projects in the territories of Charvak, Chimgan, Nanai, Baysun, Maidanak, Miraki, Parkent, Akhangaran, Angren, Akchakul, Tudakul, Aydarkul and others tourist zones. The development of tourism with the CIS countries is becoming not only a factor of economic growth, but also an important element in strengthening interstate relations, cultural exchange and friendship of peoples. The growth of the tourist flow contributes to the creation of new jobs, the development of small and medium-sized businesses and the improvement of the standard of living of the population. The prospects for further development of tourism ties between Uzbekistan and the CIS countries look very promising. Enhanced cooperation, exchange of experience and implementation of innovative solutions will make the region one of the most attractive and dynamically developing tourist destinations in Eurasia. The Committee on Tourism of Uzbekistan is ready to support the tourism business of our countries in the implementation of joint projects, and create all necessary conditions for comfortable travel of tourists of all categories from the CIS countries.

Head of the Department of
Transport and Logistics Development Shukhrat Isakulov

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Qiu Dongyu on September 5.

The head of the authoritative branch structure of the United Nations system is in Tashkent within the framework of the ongoing International Forum on Food Security and Sustainable Development Goals for Landlocked Countries.

At the beginning of the meeting, the UN High Representative expressed his deep gratitude to the head of our state for supporting the successful holding of the forum, which is attended by representative delegations from more than 30 countries of the world.

In the course of the conversation, the sides considered issues of further expanding the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and FAO in effectively responding to contemporary challenges and threats.

The sides noted with satisfaction the fruitful results of practical interaction achieved in recent years. Thus, the qualitative indicators of implementation of the country cooperation program for the period until 2025 have doubled.

There are 34 projects in the active phase of implementation. Over the last year, 7 new projects were launched, including in the field of agriculture, school feeding, veterinary medicine, agrochemistry and other spheres.

The importance of preparation and adoption of a new five-year partnership program was emphasized.

Special attention was paid to promising joint projects and activities in the field of digitalization of the agro-industrial complex, exchange of advanced knowledge and experience, attraction of innovations and investments in improving the fertility of the land fund, cultivation and processing of organic agricultural products, modernization of irrigation systems, creation of modern clusters and logistics centers, research and development.

There was also an exchange of views on the global and regional situation related to food security.

The second day of the visit of the Head of our state to Navoi region began with a joyful event. A ceremony dedicated to new projects was held with the participation of representatives of the public.

In recent years, entrepreneurship in Navoi region has been actively developing, and the interest of investors in the region continues to grow. In 2023 alone, the region produced more than 101 trillion soums worth of industrial products and exported $648 million. Foreign investments worth about $478 million were also absorbed, and the foreign trade turnover of the region amounted to about $1.3 billion. More than 300 foreign enterprises operate in the region, and their number will continue to increase.

Fifteen new projects were announced at the ceremony.

In particular, the projects on extraction and processing of oil shale in Kanimekh district, construction of a 300 megawatt solar photovoltaic station and a 75 megawatt electricity storage system in Karmana district, production of technical gases in Navoi city, processing of marble in Gazgan and granite in Zarafshan, extraction and enrichment of kaolin in Uchkuduk district, and production of fish feed in Khatyrchi district were launched. 

Enterprises were launched to produce potassium sulfate and sulfuric acid in Karmana district, cotton pulp in Navoi city, and granite processing in Nurata district.

The total cost of the 15 projects is $3.6 billion. More than 7 thousand jobs will be created.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev pressed a symbolic button and gave start to the construction and operation of the new projects.

Numerous scholars and studies have confirmed the connection between the quality of education and the well-being of society. The Nobel Prize winning Gary Becker was one of the first to inquire into the impact of education on economic growth and social development. His research has shown that investing in education can improve productivity and thus economic growth.

According to experts from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the high level of education, GDP and economic development serve to augment the average life expectancy and improve public health. One should note that stepping up the duration of education by 1 year can increase GDP by 3-6 percent.

Education is considered a crucial issue for Uzbekistan, 60% of the population of whose is young people under the age of 30, with a population increase of 700 thousand a year.

Up until recently, obtaining higher education was the dream of millions of Uzbek youth. In 2016, enrollment in higher education was only 9 percent of all the school graduates, and the number of higher education institutions was 69 (with 9 private). Due to a lack of student loans to finance higher education and support systems for vulnerable segments of the population, many were unable to study failing to pay tuition fees.

There were also problems for youth in getting onboard the higher education. Those willing to obtain one were able to apply only to one institution a year. And if they did not score enough in the admission exams, they had to wait until the next year to reapply to that or another university.

In addition, such factors as taking faculty and students to forced seasonal agricultural work used to have a grave negative impact on the quality of education. So did the insufficient material incentives for the teaching staff due to the extremely low wages.

After the election of Shavkat Mirziyoyev as President of the country in 2016, the system of admission to higher education institutions started to be revised, with overall systemic transformation underway, especially when it came to the quality of education.

First, the organizational and legal framework of the industry has been revised. In particular, the 2030 Concept for Higher Education Development in the Republic of Uzbekistan was approved in 2019 by the corresponding presidential decree.

In 2020, the Oliy Majlis (Supreme Assembly, the national parliament) passed the Education law in a new edition. In accordance with it, the system opened up to market mechanisms, priority was afforded to raising the scale and quality of education to a new level, to studying advanced foreign practices and establishing broad international connections.

Apart from that, adopted in 2023, the new edition of the Constitution introduced a number of new norms on the protection of the honor and dignity of teachers, government concern for their social and material well-being. The upgraded Basic Law also granted the higher education institutions the right to academic self-government, freedom in scientific research and teaching methodologies and approaches.

Second, to be sure, education advancement requires allocation of large sums from the state budget to this area. According to research, a 1% increase in education spending will increase GDP by 0.35%. It is for this reason that the amount of funds allocated from the public budget for the maintenance and development of educational institutions in Uzbekistan has been steadily growing.

In 2023, spending on education accounted for 44 percent of total social expenditures, reaching 61.2 trillion soums.

The rapid growth in the number of public and private universities, as well as branches of foreign ones, and the introduction of market mechanisms in this area have created the basis for expanding the market in educational services. Today there are 210 universities in the country, almost half of them are private (67) and foreign universities (29).

Crucially, the youth are now free to choose. A healthy competitive environment has begun to emerge among the institutions offering higher education. Branches of prestigious foreign universities like Westminster (UK), Webster (US), Management Development Institute of Singapore, Polytechnic University of Turin (Italy) have an important role to play in the implementation of advanced standards in higher education by inviting state-of-the-art certified faculty, making a good use of the latest teaching technologies, innovations and international best practices.

As a result of the enhancement of the higher education market in Uzbekistan, it became possible to boost the coverage in the system from 9 percent of school graduates enrolled in 2016 to 42 percent in 2023. And the launch of correspondence and evening studies at universities has contributed to a sharp increase in the proportion of students over 24 years of age. The total number of university students now exceeds 1.3 million.

Starting from 2019, applicants have been given the opportunity to simultaneously submit documents to several universities and choose an educational institution based on the results of entrance exams and their preferences. This year, building on a relevant presidential decree, exams for admission to universities will take place under the principle “test first, then choose”.

Uzbekistan has created a unique system that provides opportunities to obtain higher education for people in need of social protection and people with disabilities. In particular, the distribution of admission quotas was approved on the basis of an additional two percent state scholarship for persons with disabilities and one percent for graduates of Mehribonlik (Mercy homes, orphanages), children’s villages and family homes in the context of higher educational institutions and forms of education.

It will not be an exaggeration to say that changing society by attracting girls to higher education is a unique path for Uzbekistan. Here one can recall a popular wisdom that if you educate a girl, you educate the whole nation. In order to ensure gender equality, as well as the consistent implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, starting from the 2022-2023 academic year, new educational loans are allocated on preferential terms (interest-free) for training girls and women. As a result, in 2023, interest-free educational loans in the amount of 1,548.6 billion soums were allocated to about 137.4 thousand students.

A procedure has also been established for reimbursement of tuition fees for girls studying for graduate degree at universities. During this time, 20,260 women took a good advantage of this opportunity.

Special emphasis is placed on the issues of training youth from Uzbekistan in prestigious foreign universities. In particular, the amount of funds allocated from the state budget to the El-Yurt Umidi (Hope of the Nation) Foundation for the training of talented youth abroad has been growing. If 200 billion soums were allocated to this fund in 2022, in 2024 the amount reached 500 billion soums. Thanks to the foundation, more than 1,000 young people have received education in respected higher education institutions abroad and today work in various fields. According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, students from Uzbekistan ranked fifth in the world in the number of students studying abroad in 2021. The number exceeded 110 thousand. This is also clear evidence of how young people in this country are thirsty for knowledge.

The Uzbekistan-2030 Strategy urges to bringing the level of youth enrollment in higher education to no less than 50 percent, including in at least 10 higher educational institutions in the top 1,000 ranking of the most prestigious universities, and making the way for the country into the top 50 nations by 2030 in the Global Innovation Index.

As a result of reforms over the past period, two universities of Uzbekistan for the first time entered the top 1,000 higher education institutions in the world, compiled by the British company Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). The National Research University “Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers” (TIIAME) was named 547^th in the rating, while the Mirzo Ulugbek National University of Uzbekistan secured the 781-790th positions.

The National Research University TIIAME was among the 300 best higher education institutions in the world and among the top three universities in Central Asia in terms of “Academic reputation”, and the National University of Uzbekistan was in the top 200 in terms of “Share of foreign teachers” and took second place among universities in the region.

In addition, 53 higher educational institutions of Uzbekistan were noted in the “THE Impact Rankings” published by the Times Higher Education agency for 2024. Seven of them ended up in the top 1,000. In the ranking, the Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature came 10th in the world in terms of gender equality.

In short, well aware of the truism that investing into education means investing into your future.

Nodir Tilavoldiev,
Member of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis
Republic of Uzbekistan

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has arrived in Washington on a working visit to participate in the “C5+1” summit of the leaders of Central Asian countries and the United States and to hold meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as heads of U.S. government departments and agencies.

The C5+1 format, launched in November 2015 in Samarkand, has become an important mechanism for coordination and cooperation in areas such as regional development, economic resilience, environmental protection, energy, and security. Its primary goal is to establish a permanent platform for diplomatic dialogue, exchange views on pressing issues, and strengthen connectivity in the fields of transport, energy, trade, business, and humanitarian engagement. The Joint Declaration on Partnership and Cooperation, adopted at the first meeting, reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of the Central Asian countries.

The first C5+1 leaders’ summit, held in New York in September 2023, gave a strong impetus to advancing the comprehensive agenda of the platform and marked the launch of new initiatives, including the B5+1 Private Sector Business Platform (Almaty, March 2024) and the Critical Minerals Dialogue (February 2024). Since its inception, the format has held 13 ministerial meetings and three high-level gatherings, as well as specialized forums on climate change, development, Afghanistan, and other priority areas.

Uzbekistan has taken an active and constructive role within the C5+1, consistently advocating for the institutionalization of cooperation, enhanced border-security coordination, intensified action on climate and environmental challenges, and the continuation of projects in trade, investment, transport, and energy. Tashkent also supports initiatives related to Afghanistan. Many Uzbek initiatives have been endorsed and implemented in practice, including the establishment of the Virtual C5+1 Secretariat (2021), the TIFA meetings (Samarkand, March 2023), and projects on artificial intelligence and educational cooperation under the C5+1 framework.

The impact of these multilateral initiatives is evident: strengthened regional cooperation has opened new export routes, enhanced investment attractiveness, and created expert-exchange platforms — all contributing to the overall resilience of Central Asia.

Uzbekistan’s active engagement in the C5+1 format is fully aligned with its broader policy of deepening bilateral cooperation with the United States, which continues to expand across all key areas - politics, security, the economy, science, and culture.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations on February 19, 1992, Uzbekistan and the United States have made substantial progress. A milestone was President Mirziyoyev’s official visit to the United States on May 15–17, 2018, which laid the foundation for a new era of strategic partnership. The President has also met with U.S. leaders on various multilateral platforms — on the sidelines of the Riyadh Summit in May 2017 and during the UN General Assembly sessions in New York in September 2017 and 2025.

The bilateral political dialogue evolved in 2021 into the Uzbekistan–U.S. Strategic Partnership Dialogue, whose sessions are held alternately in the two capitals. The fourth meeting, held in Washington on November 13, 2024, concluded with an agreement to elevate its status to the Expanded Strategic Partnership Dialogue.

The regular visits of senior U.S. officials and special envoys to Uzbekistan further underscore the growing intensity of the partnership.

In 2025, Uzbekistan hosted several high-level American representatives, including Paolo Zampolli, the Special Representative of the U.S. President for Global Partnerships (August 28 – September 1, 2025), and Sergio Góvar, the Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs, accompanied by First Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau (October 25–27, 2025).

A clear demonstration of the high level of bilateral relations was the official visit of Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov to Washington on April 8–10, 2025, during which he met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz. The sides discussed a wide range of regional and international issues, paying particular attention to strengthening the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and the United States. Special emphasis was placed on cooperation in security, economic development, regional connectivity, and sustainable growth in Central Asia.

Inter-parliamentary ties are also expanding dynamically. In 2018, the Uzbekistan Caucus was established in the U.S. House of Representatives, with participation from both parties. Regular visits of congressional delegations contribute to the strengthening of parliamentary diplomacy.

Economic and investment cooperation is developing at a robust pace. The bilateral trade turnover and the number of joint projects continue to grow annually. Major American companies such as Air Products, General Electric, General Motors, Boeing, Honeywell, The Coca-Cola Company, and John Deere are successfully operating in Uzbekistan.

During the IV Tashkent International Investment Forum on June 9, 2025, the U.S.–Uzbekistan Business Forum was held with the participation of around 100 U.S. companies. Memorandums of understanding were signed and negotiations held with Boeing, FLS, Visa, NASDAQ, Air Products, Franklin Templeton, Morgan Stanley, and others.

The United States supports Uzbekistan’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). In December 2024, the parties signed a protocol concluding bilateral negotiations on accession — an important milestone in Uzbekistan’s integration into the global trading system.

The cultural and humanitarian sphere constitutes a significant dimension of bilateral cooperation. Sister-city relations have been established between Tashkent–Seattle, Bukhara–Santa Fe, and Zarafshan–Clinton. These municipal partnerships foster cultural and educational exchange, tourism, and business collaboration.

Educational cooperation is also advancing: the Tashkent branch of Webster University (opened in 2019) and the American University of Technology (AUT), established in partnership with Arizona State University, play a key role. On August 30, 2025, an American Corner — a cultural and educational hub promoting academic and scientific collaboration — was inaugurated at AUT.

In October 2023, Tashkent hosted the Education USA Regional Forum with the participation of 65 U.S. universities. The activities of American Councils for International Education (ACIE) have resumed, and work is underway to restore the Peace Corps presence in Uzbekistan.

Transport connectivity has also improved: since July 2017, direct Tashkent–New York–Tashkent flights operated by the national airline have resumed, facilitating business and humanitarian exchanges.

Furthermore, the United States continues to support Uzbekistan’s domestic reforms. Reports by the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Labor highlight progress in combating human trafficking and eradicating the worst forms of child labour. Uzbek cotton has been removed from the lists of goods produced with forced child labour; in December 2020, Uzbekistan was delisted from the “Countries of Particular Concern” regarding religious freedom; and in April 2024, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) removed Uzbekistan from the Special 301 Watch List on intellectual property protection.

In summary, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s current visit to the United States and participation in the C5+1 Summit will provide a new and powerful impetus for the practical implementation of initiatives on both the multilateral and bilateral agenda. The visit will undoubtedly strengthen political dialogue, accelerate the realization of investment agreements, expand educational and cultural exchanges, and give fresh momentum to joint projects in energy, transport, and digital technologies.

For Uzbekistan, this visit represents another opportunity to reaffirm its status as an active and reliable partner in Central Asia; for the United States, it serves as a platform to deepen engagement in a region of strategic importance for global stability and economic growth.

Dunyo IA

Issues of practical implementation of agreements at the highest level and promotion of investment projects were at the center of attention during the telephone conversation held on December 17 between the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

The Head of our state warmly congratulated the Amir of Qatar on the national holiday - Foundation Day, wishing him health, well-being and success, as well as peace and prosperity to the friendly Qatari people.

Current matters of further expansion of multifaceted cooperation and strengthening of strategic partnership between our countries were discussed.

The results of active contacts and exchanges were positively assessed. In November this year, the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission and business forum were successfully held in Doha. In October, the Qatar Culture Week events were successfully organized in Tashkent.

With the participation of leading Qatari companies, investment projects are being implemented in the field of energy, development of transport and tourism infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare and other priority areas.

There is a regular direct flight service between the capitals, which facilitates the growth of mutual tourist flow.

During the conversation, the heads of state paid particular attention to the schedule of upcoming events in 2025, including the second dialogue summit “Central Asia - Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf”.

Exchange of views on topical issues on the international agenda also took place.