Contemporary relations between Uzbekistan and Belarus demonstrate a steady upward trajectory, based on the principles of mutual respect, trust and pragmatism. Despite their geographical distance, the two countries have succeeded in establishing an effective system of partnership built upon the complementarity of their economies, the similarity of their approaches to socio-economic development, and their shared interest in expanding mutually beneficial cooperation.

Since 2017, the dialogue between the two states has acquired a qualitatively new substance. Regular contacts at the highest and high levels, the work of the Intergovernmental Commission, as well as the holding of regional forums and business events, have made it possible to give bilateral cooperation a comprehensive and systematic character.

An important factor in the expansion of international ties has been the large-scale reforms carried out in Uzbekistan under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Economic liberalisation, the improvement of the investment climate, the development of free economic zones and the policy of openness have significantly increased the country’s attractiveness and created additional opportunities for deepening bilateral partnership.

Today, amid the transformation of the global economy, the restructuring of logistics chains and the emergence of new centres of economic growth, this partnership is gaining particular relevance and strategic significance.

At the same time, a key factor in the sustainable development of Uzbek-Belarusian relations is the high level of political mutual understanding. The constructive mechanism of interaction established by the two sides enables them to effectively coordinate joint actions across a broad range of issues.

The strong dynamics of relations are evidenced by regular negotiations at the highest level: since 2017, more than eight meetings have been held. Such an intensive schedule of contacts has made it possible to promptly address emerging issues on the bilateral agenda and define long-term priorities.

A powerful impetus to cooperation was provided by the official visit of President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to Uzbekistan in February 2024. Following the visit, a Joint Statement was adopted and a Roadmap was prepared for the implementation of the agreed decisions. Practically all subsequent steps — in trade, industrial cooperation and the humanitarian sphere — have been a direct result of these agreements.

In February 2026, Tashkent hosted Prime Minister of Belarus Alexander Turchin. During his talks with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a new agenda was outlined in preparation for upcoming interstate events at the highest level, and the readiness of both sides to consistently implement the planned projects was reaffirmed.

The practical elaboration of joint initiatives is carried out within the framework of the Intergovernmental Commission on Bilateral Cooperation. In May 2026, its 12th meeting was held under the co-chairmanship of Deputy Prime Ministers of Uzbekistan and Belarus Jamshid Khodjaev and Yuri Shuleiko.

The parties discussed preparations for the Partnership Roadmap for 2026–2030, as well as measures to further expand trade, economic and investment cooperation. Particular emphasis was placed on broadening the range of mutual supplies, intensifying industrial cooperation and establishing joint production facilities for high value-added goods. The priority areas identified include electrical engineering, pharmaceuticals, the chemical industry, agricultural machinery production, construction materials, textiles and ready-made garments.

Contacts between the foreign ministries deserve special attention. In 2025, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Maxim Ryzhenkov visited Termez, where, together with his Uzbek counterpart Bakhtiyor Saidov, he discussed prospects for expanding trade routes through the free trade zone of the International Trade Centre Termez, as well as promoting routes through Afghanistan. This confirms that transit and logistics are assuming an increasingly important place on the bilateral agenda.

The treaty and legal framework of Uzbek-Belarusian relations is also being consistently expanded. To date, the two countries have concluded more than 126 interstate, intergovernmental and interdepartmental agreements regulating cooperation in various areas. This extensive body of agreements forms a reliable institutional basis for cooperation, enabling political decisions to be translated into practical implementation and ensuring continuity in key areas.

The trade and economic sphere demonstrate the highest growth rates. Over the past five years, mutual trade turnover has increased 2.7 times. Belarusian supplies to Uzbekistan have grown 2.5 times, while Uzbek exports to Belarus have increased almost fourfold. By the end of 2025, a 25 per cent rise in mutual trade was recorded, bringing its volume to USD 965 million. This brings the two sides close to the USD 1 billion threshold set by the heads of state as a strategic benchmark.

Moreover, the pace of growth is accelerating. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, trade turnover increased by almost 50 per cent year-on-year, reaching USD 259.7 million. Against this background, the parties have begun developing a joint programme to raise trade turnover to USD 2 billion by 2030. Today, Belarus ranks third among CIS countries in terms of trade turnover in Uzbekistan’s foreign trade, after only Russia and Kazakhstan.

The principal components of Uzbekistan’s exports to Belarus include textiles, fruit, metals and selected industrial products. Imports from Belarus consist primarily of meat and dairy products, timber, vehicles, pharmaceuticals, fuel, machinery, equipment and metal products.

An important step towards expanding trade and economic cooperation was the announcement in March 2026 of the establishment of the Uzbekistan Trade House in Minsk. The project envisages the creation of a permanent platform for promoting Uzbek products, showcasing the output of domestic manufacturers and strengthening business-to-business ties.

Importantly, bilateral interaction extends well beyond trade. Increasing significance is being attached to industrial cooperation aimed at establishing joint ventures, localising technologies and developing export-oriented production facilities.

As of early 2025, approximately 250 enterprises with Belarusian capital were registered in Uzbekistan, while around 87 joint Uzbek-Belarusian companies were operating in Belarus. The overall portfolio of joint projects exceeds USD 300 million, demonstrating that bilateral cooperation has evolved into a systematic and sustainable partnership rather than a series of isolated business initiatives.

The priority areas of industrial cooperation include mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, pharmaceuticals, the textile industry and food processing. Traditionally, agricultural machinery has remained the flagship area of cooperation, with Belarusian products—including tractors, combine harvesters and specialised agricultural equipment—holding strong positions in the Uzbek market. Today, however, the two countries are moving to a new stage by establishing assembly lines and manufacturing facilities within Uzbekistan.

In February 2026, prospects for further cooperation were thoroughly examined during a business dialogue held at the Mogilev Free Economic Zone, with the participation of diplomats, regional authorities and business representatives from both countries. The participants identified several priority sectors, including electrical engineering, the chemical industry, construction materials and textiles, while also emphasising the importance of expanding the presence of Belarusian companies in the Uzbek market through investment mechanisms rather than relying solely on exports.

It should be noted that a solid practical foundation for deeper cooperation has already been established. A joint production facility manufacturing BELARUS tractors operates in the Tashkent Region; in partnership with EnergoKomplekt, the Enco Group high-voltage cable manufacturing plant has been launched; and the Belarusian-Uzbek joint venture UzShoes has been successfully operating in the city of Karshi.

The two countries have also agreed to promote joint production of high value-added goods. This transition—from traditional trade to the joint creation of competitive industrial products—represents the most significant qualitative shift in bilateral economic relations.

One of the most promising areas of cooperation remains the agro-industrial sector. According to the results of 2025, agricultural products accounted for almost 25 per cent of Belarus’s total exports, while the agro-industrial sector generated around 7 per cent of the country's GDP. These figures highlight considerable potential for cooperation within the CIS market, based on the complementary nature of the two economies. Belarus possesses a highly developed dairy and meat industry, grain processing capacities and an advanced food industry, whereas Uzbekistan offers a rich agricultural resource base, a strong fruit- and grape-growing sector, and a large consumer market.

Against this backdrop, the cooperation agreement on food security and food industry development, signed in Tashkent in May 2026 between the relevant ministries of the two countries, represents a logical and important step forward. The agreement elevates bilateral cooperation in the agro-industrial sector to a fundamentally new level of systematic and predictable partnership, replacing ad hoc commercial transactions with long-term strategic collaboration. A clear indication of this progress is the substantial increase in bilateral trade in agricultural and food products, which reached USD 338.9 million in 2025, compared with USD 234.2 million the previous year.

From a long-term perspective, the establishment of joint agro-industrial enterprises in Uzbekistan for fruit and vegetable processing, dairy production, storage technologies and logistics represents an area of considerable strategic importance. Belarusian expertise in land reclamation and water management could also be effectively applied, particularly in the context of Uzbekistan’s large-scale programmes for the development of new irrigated agricultural land.

Another important indicator of bilateral cooperation is the volume of freight transportation. In 2025, cargo shipments exceeded 796.6 thousand tonnes, representing a 6 per cent increase compared with the previous year. At the same time, both countries continue to actively diversify transport routes, including through Central Asia and Afghanistan, thereby enhancing the reliability and resilience of supply chains.

Interregional cooperation is also developing dynamically. Direct partnership links between the regions and cities of Uzbekistan and Belarus complement the central-level political dialogue and serve as an important source of practical initiatives. It is at the regional level that concrete production chains, educational partnerships and cultural exchanges are being established.

The sustainability of this dimension of cooperation is evidenced by the growing intensity of contacts between the regions of the two countries. Since 2017, more than 40 visits by representatives of the regions of Uzbekistan and Belarus have taken place, reflecting the high level of engagement. Regional Forums have played a particularly important role in institutionalising bilateral relations, becoming a regular and effective platform for launching new joint initiatives. A notable example was the conclusion in 2025 of cooperation agreements between the cities of Navoi and Orsha, as well as Termez and Polotsk, giving these partnerships a practical and long-term orientation.

Overall, the accumulated potential of Uzbek-Belarusian cooperation indicates that bilateral partnership has entered a qualitatively new stage of development. Its progress is now determined not only by the positive dynamics of individual indicators, but also by the establishment of sustainable mechanisms of cooperation that ensure the long-term implementation of the strategic course pursued by both countries.

The political, institutional and economic foundations that have been established enable the two sides to pursue ambitious objectives aimed at deepening industrial cooperation, attracting investment, strengthening transport connectivity and implementing joint projects in high-technology and innovation-driven sectors. Taken together, these factors demonstrate that Uzbekistan and Belarus possess a substantial reserve of resilience and maintain significant potential for further progress in the interests of both nations.

Iroda Imamova

Leading Research Fellow

Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan

On 30 April, the official visit of Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to Uzbekistan came to a close. The visit took place at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Talks were held at the Kuksaroy residence in both restricted and plenary formats. As a result, the two sides signed a Joint Declaration on the Promotion of Expanded Cooperation along with a package of bilateral agreements covering economic, industrial, and scientific-technological cooperation, as well as the training of diplomatic personnel, collaboration in the fields of geology and metrology, and the supply of electric trains.

It is worth noting that this was already the second visit by a Czech prime minister to Uzbekistan. In April 2023, Petr Fiala visited Tashkent, and in October of the same year Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov made a reciprocal visit to Prague, where he met with Czech President Petr Pavel and signed an Interstate Declaration on Enhanced Cooperation. In September 2025, on the sidelines of the 80th anniversary session of the United Nations General Assembly, Presidents Mirziyoyev and Pavel held a bilateral meeting and discussed specific projects in the areas of investment, innovation, transport, and agriculture. Such intensity of contacts at the highest level is a rare phenomenon in international diplomacy. It testifies to the fact that both sides regard their relationship not as a matter of protocol formality, but as a genuine political priority.

The agenda of the current Uzbek-Czech talks was exceptionally substantive, covering several key areas, each of which merits separate consideration.

First — the expansion of trade, economic, and industrial cooperation. Over recent years, bilateral trade turnover has doubled, which is in itself a significant achievement. Nonetheless, both sides acknowledge that the figures attained merely reflect the existing potential without coming close to exhausting it.

Against this backdrop, the parties set a target of raising the volume of mutual trade to one billion US dollars, including through an expansion of the range of goods supplied. Uzbekistan already hosts 37 joint ventures with Czech capital participation, providing a solid productive foundation for the further development of the partnership.

The principal mechanism governing this process and opening up new avenues for interaction is the The Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Industrial, and Scientific-Technological Cooperation. Over the years of its operation, the Commission has held ten sessions, the most recent of which took place in Prague in March 2025.

To further stimulate trade, the first Uzbek certification branch in the Czech Republic is being established, while work is simultaneously under way on the construction of a Euro 6 vehicle certification laboratory and a quantum measurement standard — infrastructure facilities without which Uzbek products would face significant barriers to full access to European markets.

In parallel, an agreement has been reached with leading Czech companies on the development of a Technology Cooperation Programme encompassing mechanical engineering, green energy, geology and critical raw materials, as well as chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, the Czech Export Credit Insurance Corporation (EGAP) and the Czech Export Bank confirmed their intentions to provide financial support for joint projects. To coordinate the entire economic agenda, it was decided to establish a Business Council, and the next session of the Intergovernmental Commission is scheduled to take place in Tashkent in August of the current year.

The Uzbek-Czech business forum, held on the eve of the visit with the participation of the heads of government of both countries, served as a practical platform for giving the bilateral agenda concrete substance. More than 200 participants discussed prospects for deepening economic cooperation. Particular emphasis was placed on the fact that Uzbekistan's GDP exceeded 145 billion US dollars in 2025 — a figure that is fundamentally transforming international investors' perception of the country.

As a result, Czech companies are increasingly viewing Uzbekistan as a strategic springboard for access to Central Asian markets. The unique combination of dynamic growth, a young population, and a favourable geographical location makes the country one of the most attractive hubs on the Eurasian continent.

Following the forum, a package of cooperation agreements was signed covering mechanical engineering, infrastructure modernisation, and education, while mechanisms for engagement with the Czech Export Bank and EGAP were formalised, providing for preferential lending and risk insurance for high-technology projects.

Second — high-technology cooperation in the transport sector, the symbolic centrepiece of which was the signing of a contract for the supply and maintenance of the first ten Škoda Group electric trains. It should be stressed that the prospects of this project extend well beyond a simple equipment transaction. The plans include the establishment of a joint venture for local assembly and lifetime technical maintenance of rolling stock, as well as the creation of a Škoda Academy for the training of Uzbek specialists.

In this context, Škoda Group CEO Petr Novotný regards Uzbekistan as his company's "number one target" outside Europe, believing that the results achieved there will open the door to markets across Central Asia. For Uzbekistan in turn, this is not merely a technical upgrade, but an opportunity to integrate into European production chains and build domestic technological competences.

Third — cooperation in the fields of education, science, and cultural and humanitarian ties. In this domain, Uzbek-Czech partnership has its deepest roots and the most enduring future. The number of Uzbek students enrolled at Czech universities has grown from approximately 350 in 2020 to between 600 and 700 today, predominantly in technical, economic, agricultural, and IT disciplines. The Czech government's annual award of scholarships for citizens of Uzbekistan provides an additional incentive.

Of particular note is the fact that direct contacts have been established at the inter-university level. The National University of Uzbekistan cooperates with Charles University and the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague; the Tashkent Medical Academy maintains ties with the First Faculty of Medicine at Charles University; and a number of other leading institutions collaborate with Mendel University in Brno. The talks confirmed mutual interest in further expanding academic exchanges, including joint degree programmes, which will open fundamentally new career horizons for students of both countries.

Worthy of mention in this context is also the scientific and archaeological dimension of bilateral ties. Since 2003, Termez State University has been conducting a joint expedition with Charles University of Prague in the Surkhandarya region. Over the past two decades, nine previously unknown Bronze Age sites and fourteen Early Iron Age monuments have been discovered, and maps and inventories of heritage sites across several districts have been compiled. This cooperation has continued regardless of changes in government and shifting political circumstances.

An equally significant aspect is the ongoing exploration of the possibility of resuming direct air services between Tashkent and Prague — a matter that at first glance may appear to be purely logistical, but which in practice opens up new opportunities for tourist, business, and academic contacts alike.

Coming to the fore as well are the prospects for systematic cooperation in the field of labour migration, reflecting the profound qualitative shifts taking place in the labour markets of both Uzbekistan and the Czech Republic.

In sum, assessing the outcomes of the visit, one can state with confidence that Uzbek-Czech relations are entering a qualitatively new phase of development. The intensive high-level dialogue, underpinned by concrete economic initiatives, technological agreements, and institutional mechanisms, lays a solid foundation for a long-term strategic partnership.

The implementation of the agreements reached opens broad prospects for the modernisation of the Uzbek economy, the development of high-technology industries, and the strengthening of human capital. For the Czech Republic, meanwhile, Uzbekistan is becoming not merely a trading partner, but a reliable gateway to one of the most dynamically developing regions of Eurasia.

Bakhtiyor Mustafayev

Deputy Director, Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The capital of Uzbekistan will host the 17^th Central Asian International Textile Machinery Exhibition – CAITME 2026. It will inaugurate the traditional Global Textile Days week.

CAITME is a major event for Central Asia's textile and garment industries and, according to an independent audit, the largest specialist exhibition of its kind in the CIS. The exhibition plays an important role in equipping and uprading the region's textile and garment sector, helping manufacturers increase productivity, adopt advanced technologies and strengthen their competitiveness in the international markets.

This year, the exhibition will bring together 250 companies and brands from 17 countries. Germany will be represented by its National Pavilion, while companies from Austria, India, Italy, China, Turkiye, the USA, Switzerland and other leading textile-producing countries will also take part. Registration of participants is in full swing.

As in previous years, the exhibition will feature recognised global leaders in textile machinery manufacturing and suppliers of advanced technologies from Europe and Asia, including Rieter, Uster, Novibra, SSM, Spindelfabrik Sussen, Toyota, Muratec, Truetzschler, Saurer, Picanol, Santoni, Terrot, Habasit, MHMS, Vandewiele NV, Karl Mayer, Staubli, IRO, Biancalani, Ferraro, Epson, Zimmer Austria, Mario Crosta, Itema, Lafer, Motex Di Modiano Guido, Salvade`, Simet, Dettin, Sclavos, Effe, Mahlo, Lonati, Shima Seiki, Andritz Küsters, Brückner, Carl Schmale, Sossna, Texpa, Thies, Groz-Beckert KG, Kaeser Kompressoren, Schott & Meissner, Textima, Tetas, Temsan, Lakshmi Machine Works, Lakshmi Card Clothing, Precitex, Kansai, Brazzoli, Eliar, Guven Celik, West Global, CTMTC, Hengyi, Leadsfon, Rifa, Yingyang, Baoyu, Dyestar, NF Kimya, Eksoy, Deniz Kimya and many more.

Uzbekistan is represented by leading industry players.                    

A highlight of the exhibition will be the innovative TextileExpo Uzbekistan Sourcing Hub Project, which will take place on September 9^th. For the first time in Uzbekistan, textile manufacturers and buyers from retail chains, factories and specialist companies will be able to hold direct business-to-business negotiations in a digital format using Artificial Intelligence.

                                                                                      Dunyo IA

At the end of Q1 2026, the republic’s exports of goods and services demonstrated a steady growth trend.

During the reporting period, exports totaled $5.8 bn, increasing by 26%, or $1.2 bn, compared to the same period last year.

Export growth was driven primarily by the expansion of shipments of higher value-added products and raw materials. In particular, exports of natural uranium amounted to $402.6 mn, increasing by $196 mn, or 95%. Exports of non-ferrous metals reached $248.7 mn, up by $137 mn, with a twofold increase recorded. Exports of oil and gas products totaled $160 mn, rising by $20 mn, or 15%.

Positive dynamics were also observed in manufacturing industries. Textile exports reached $731 mn, increasing by $110 mn, or 18%. Exports of construction materials totaled $304 mn, up by $130 mn, or 75%. Exports of jewelry products reached $214 mn, increasing by $75 mn, or 54%.

Sustained growth was also recorded in agricultural and food exports. Fruit and vegetable exports reached $320 mn, increasing by $34 mn, or 12%. Food product exports totaled $282 mn, increasing by $47 mn, or 120%.

Strong growth was also achieved in services. During the reporting period, services exports amounted to $2.2 bn, increasing by 35%, or $573 mn, compared to last year.

Regional export activity also expanded. In Andijan region, exports increased by $83 mn, or 74%; in Khorezm region by $27 mn, or 66%; in Navoi region by $15 mn, or 42%; in Fergana region by $54 mn, or 42%; in Namangan region by $43 mn, or 31%; in Syrdarya region by $17 mn, or 29%; and in Samarkand region by $54 mn, or 28%. In Tashkent city, exports grew by $178 mn, or 42%.

Export growth was recorded in 147 districts and cities across the republic.

The geography of exports continues to expand. In January–March of the current year, previously non-exported goods worth $162 mn across more than 140 product categories were supplied for the first time to 86 countries, including the United States, Austria, Belarus, Poland, South Korea, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Afghanistan.

In particular, exports to Hong Kong included jewelry, solar panels, semiconductors, brass products, and spare parts worth $42.1 mn. Exports to Afghanistan included truck cranes, aluminum products, oilcake, metal fittings, pipes, and other goods worth $19.8 mn. Exports to the United States included carpets, rug fabrics, electrical equipment, solar panels, and other goods worth $9.4 mn.

In addition, exports amounted to $2.3 mn to Poland, $3.8 mn to Kazakhstan, $3.2 mn to Belarus, $1.7 mn to Austria, $1.1 mn to the United Kingdom, $1.1 mn to Iran, and $649.3 thousand to South Korea.

As a result of efforts to involve new businesses in export activity, 702 new business entities joined export operations during the reporting period. Their exports totaled $270 mn. As a result, the total number of exporting enterprises reached 4 thousand.

Within the national export support system, financial and organizational assistance to exporting enterprises continued. Through the Trade Promotion Fund, 405 exporters received financial support totaling 32.3 bn soums, while these companies exported goods worth $98.9 mn. Every $1 of state support generated $38.9 in exports.

In addition, the Light Industry Agency provided financial assistance totaling 8.8 bn soums to 212 exporters.

The achieved results confirm the effectiveness of the measures being implemented in the country to expand export potential, diversify the product range, and strengthen competitiveness in foreign markets.

Center for Economic Research and Reforms Media Sector

Dear compatriots!

Sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, I congratulate you, all our people on the holiday of Kurban Hayit, which has come in our country, which is being transformed and illuminated with the light of peace, kindness and harmony every day.

In these blessed moments we all deeply feel the spirit and joy of the great holiday and give immense gratitude to the Almighty for the fact that we meet such bright days together with our people.

Today, Kurban Hayit, firmly established in people's lives as a symbol of mercy, generosity and humanism, is gaining more and more significance, consonant with the content of large-scale reforms in the New Uzbekistan, in which respect for human honor and dignity comes to the fore in all spheres.

It should be especially noted that our sacred religion and this bright holiday, which embodies its humanistic essence, serves as a source of strength and inspiration for us in all good deeds aimed at strengthening the atmosphere of peace and tranquility, friendship and cohesion in mahallas and families, caring for the older generation, youth and women, low-income families, and making sure that no one is left behind.

Dear friends!

In these bright days, when our hearts are filled with joy, we talk about the great work carried out in recent years to revive the original spiritual values, to improve the sacred places, to create favorable conditions for the Muslims of the country to freely perform religious rites, including hajj and umrah.

In a short period of time, international scientific centers of Imam Bukhari, Imam Termezi and Imam Maturidi have been organized. The memorial complexes of Abu Iso Termezi, Abu Muin Nasafi, Sulton Uwais Karani and Suzuk Ota have been radically transformed. Work on the construction and equipping of the Imam Bukhari memorial complex and the Centre for Islamic Civilization is continuing apace. Majestic mosques are being built in many towns and villages.

Over the past seven years, more than 60 thousand Muslims of the country have made the Hajj. These days 15 thousand more of our compatriots are making pilgrimage to two sacred cities - Mecca and Medina, having realized their most cherished dream.

In such blessed moments, when good thoughts come true, we wish them with all our heart to fully perform the rites of Hajj and safely return to their homeland.

On the eve of the celebration of Hayyit, during our telephone conversation with the Chairman of the Muslims' Board, the Honorable Mufti Sheikh Nuriddin Kholiknazar, who is staying in the holy Mecca, he emphasized the created conditions necessary for our compatriots to perform the rites of Hajj. We hope that, having returned home, our pilgrims will become an example in further strengthening the atmosphere of kindness and mutual assistance in the society, in the struggle of enlightenment against ignorance, strengthening the education of youth and establishing harmony in families.

Dear compatriots!

Today we sincerely congratulate our compatriots abroad on this holiday, wish them health, happiness and success.

We convey warm congratulations to believing Muslims in the states of near and far abroad and sincere wishes of peace and progress to their peoples and countries.

May the ongoing wars and conflicts in different regions cease! May peace reign on the Earth forever!

Dear friends!

Today, together with our multinational people, we are building a new Uzbekistan. The new Uzbekistan is a new life, a new development, a happy future.

If we unite more firmly and continue the initiated reforms with even greater determination, we will undoubtedly achieve this great goal.

We will surely raise our children to be a generation of true patriots, highly educated, possessing modern knowledge and professions.

I wish you happiness and success on this path.

May the Almighty protect our nation!

I once again congratulate you on the holy holiday of Kurban Hayit, wish you health, peace and prosperity to your families.



Shavkat Mirziyoyev,

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Over the past five years, the open dialogue between the President of Uzbekistan and entrepreneurs has evolved from a new feedback format into a stable mechanism of economic policy. Its importance is defined not only by the number of appeals received or proposals voiced. The main result has been a consistent transition from removing individual barriers to changing the rules of doing business themselves – in taxation, lending, access to land and infrastructure, export support, digitalization of services, and protection of entrepreneurs’ rights.

The logic of the five meetings held so far is clearly reflected in their dynamics. The first dialogue in 2021 focused on removing the most urgent post-pandemic restrictions and restoring trust between the state and the private sector. The second established a categorized approach to businesses and territories. The third set the goal of helping companies grow from microbusiness to small business, from small to medium-sized and large enterprises. The fourth expanded access to capital, land, energy, and markets. The fifth focused on legalizing entrepreneurial activity, developing digital financial services, simplifying tax administration, supporting startups, and protecting investments.

It is important to note that entrepreneurship indicators are the result of the full range of economic reforms, not only the annual meetings. However, the open dialogues have become the platform where business problems are translated into specific decisions, and their practical implementation is reviewed at the next meeting.

As Uzbekistan approaches the upcoming sixth dialogue, scheduled for August 2026, the country has a fundamentally different business climate from the one with which this process began.

2021: The First Dialogue

The first open dialogue took place on August 20, 2021. At that time, entrepreneurship was emerging from a difficult pandemic period, and businesses needed affordable financial resources, predictable taxation, simplified exports, protection of property, and reduced administrative pressure.

More than 15,000 appeals were received before the meeting, and about half of them were resolved on the spot. Following the discussion, the President outlined seven main areas of work and proposed holding the open dialogue annually. August 20 was designated as Entrepreneurs’ Day.

One of the central issues was access to financing. To strengthen banks’ resource base, $600 million was allocated through the Fund for Reconstruction and Development, and Eurobonds worth about $417 million were placed in the national currency. Foreign-currency loans of around 6,000 entrepreneurs, totaling about $1 billion, were converted into the national currency. This reduced currency risks for borrowers and expanded opportunities for long-term local-currency lending.

Conditions for microfinance organizations were simplified, while in the tax sphere the reduction of the tax burden and simplification of administration continued. For exporters, a mechanism was introduced to refund 80% of VAT within 7 days instead of 60 days, without additional inspections.

Significant changes also affected exports and logistics. Enterprises exporting goods with high added value were given the opportunity to receive compensation for up to 50% of transport costs for deliveries to neighboring countries and up to 70% for deliveries to the EU. The requirement for repeated national certification of a number of types of equipment, components, and raw materials already certified in countries with advanced quality control systems was abolished.

In regulation, more than 40 duplicating control functions were eliminated. The digitalization of permitting procedures expanded, while the process of receiving subsidies was transferred to a Single Window system.

As a result, by August 2022, the number of exporting enterprises reached 7,500, while total exports grew by 30%. In the first seven months of 2022, exporters received about $14.2 million in transport subsidies, and the geography of exports expanded by another 32 markets. A total of 15,800 land plots were put up for online auction, while more than 54,000 vacant land plots with a total area of over 22,000 hectares were entered into the YerElectron system.

2022: The Second Dialogue

The second open dialogue took place on August 22, 2022. Before the meeting, more than 12,000 appeals were received. Entrepreneurs were mainly concerned with issues related to financing new projects, working capital, connection to infrastructure, allocation of land, tax administration, and inspections.

The main decision of the dialogue was the categorization of businesses. Enterprises were divided by annual turnover: up to about $83,000 as microbusinesses, up to about $834,000 as small businesses, and up to about $8.3 million as medium-sized businesses. This made it possible to apply differentiated regulatory and support measures based on the scale, financial capacity, and stage of development of each enterprise. As a result, smaller companies no longer had to bear the same regulatory burden as larger businesses.

Starting in 2023, a single turnover tax rate of 4% was introduced for microbusinesses, replacing the previous range of 4% to 25%. For enterprises moving to the general taxation regime as their turnover increased, a twofold reduction in profit tax for one year was introduced. This measure helped 370,000 entrepreneurs move to the next stage of development.

Another major decision was the reduction of the VAT rate to 12% from January 1, 2023. At the same time, about $167 million of debt arising from the application of increased tax rates on unused buildings and land plots was written off.

The categorization of districts and cities according to business conditions was also important. Territories were divided into five groups, for which different regimes of taxation, subsidies, interest compensation, guarantees, and infrastructure connection began to be formed. Special tax, credit, and financial conditions were introduced in 60 districts of the republic.

A principle was also established under which a decision to allocate land or property to an entrepreneur can be canceled only by a court. In addition, criminal liability for violating trade rules was abolished.

By August 2023, the results of the second dialogue were already reflected not only in regulatory acts but also in measurable indicators. State support measures began to depend on the scale of a company and the conditions of a territory, while business growth no longer automatically meant a sharp increase in the regulatory burden.

2023: The Third Dialogue

The third open dialogue was held on August 18, 2023. It announced the creation of a comprehensive system for training entrepreneurs, preparing projects, providing financing, and finding new markets and partners.

Fourteen small business centers were established in each region with the aim of helping 150,000 small business entities get on their feet, moving 25,000 companies into the medium-sized category, and creating 250,000 permanent jobs.

To support the transition from small to medium-sized business, an industrial mortgage system was launched, providing businesses with ready-made production facilities. The program “New Uzbekistan: A Country of Competitive Products,” which previously covered 100 leading exporters, was expanded to 500 enterprises. The state moved from general export support to targeted work with companies capable of entering new markets and introducing international standards.

By August 2024, more than 700 issues, initiatives, and new projects proposed by entrepreneurs had been supported. An additional about $667 million was allocated, while another about $1.5 billion was directed to industry, agriculture, services, and entrepreneurial infrastructure.

The turnover of entrepreneurs grew by 25% over the year and reached about $82.2 billion. The number of medium-sized enterprises with turnover from about $834,000 to $8.3 million doubled, while the number of large companies with turnover above about $8.3 million exceeded 2,200, also roughly doubling compared to the previous year.

Joint work by the tax, banking, and financial-economic systems at the level of mahallas and clients helped 16,000 previously loss-making enterprises earn about $542 million in profit in half a year. The number of enterprises in categories “A” and “B” in the entrepreneurship rating increased by 91,000, while another 170,000 companies moved out of the lowest “D” category.

The level of business sustainability was especially telling: the share of enterprises operating for more than three years reached 76%, while the number of such active entities approached 300,000 for the first time.

2024: The Fourth Dialogue

The fourth open dialogue took place on August 20, 2024, in Nukus. During the year, the government, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Business Ombudsman, and khokims worked with entrepreneurial initiatives on a permanent basis. As a result, a number of effective economic measures were adopted.

The amount of microcredit was tripled to about $25,000, while collateral was no longer required for part of the loan up to about $8,300. Work began on preparing a law on Islamic finance, which was estimated as a source of an additional $5 billion in resources. VAT on land purchased through auctions was abolished. Installment payment terms for land were set at up to 3 years in Tashkent and regional centers, up to 5 years in other regions, and up to 10 years in districts of the fourth and fifth categories.

For industrial enterprises, the procedure for paying for electricity and gas when consumption limits were exceeded was softened. To launch the production of new types of domestic products based on long-term orders, $100 million was allocated.

As a result, by August 2025, 1,600 microenterprises had increased their turnover above about $834,000 and moved into the medium-sized category. Another 143 microenterprises exceeded turnover of about $8.3 million and became large businesses, while 122 small enterprises also entered the large business category.

In 2024 alone, 16 types of licenses and permits were abolished, which, according to estimates, saved entrepreneurs about $29.2 million.

By the time of the fifth dialogue, more than 600 startups were operating in the country. In the first seven months of 2025, they attracted $264 million in foreign investment, four times more than in the whole of 2024.

2025: The Fifth Dialogue

The fifth open dialogue took place on August 20, 2025, in New Tashkent. In preparation for the dialogue, meetings and consultations were held with almost 7,000 entrepreneurs representing 26 sectors. In addition, more than 13,000 appeals and initiatives were received through call centers.

The main result of the five-year cycle was that hundreds of entrepreneurial initiatives had already been enshrined in legislation. The agenda of the fifth meeting focused on further reducing the cost of doing business and supporting the transition from the informal sector to the legal economy.

The largest changes affected 300,000 individual entrepreneurs and 5.5 million self-employed people. A special legal regime was introduced for them until 2030, with digital services from registration to reporting, remote biometrics, electronic wallets for salary payments, and a universal QR code for accepting payments.

In addition, starting from January 1, 2026, individual entrepreneurs and self-employed people with annual turnover of up to about $83,000 pay turnover tax at a rate of 1% instead of 4%. Thus, the tax burden for businesses with turnover of up to about $83,000 was reduced by 3 to 4 times.

According to Presidential Decree No.214 of November 14, 2025, the principle of “Starting a business in 15 minutes” is introduced from January 1, 2026. Under this approach, when registering a business, an entrepreneur immediately receives an electronic digital signature, a bank account, the ability to formalize a lease, register a cash register, and submit the necessary notifications. This further simplifies the start of entrepreneurial activity and makes opening one’s own business more accessible.

It is important to note that 2025 data show that 493,000 enterprises were operating in the country, while 82,400 new enterprises were created during the year. The share of small business amounted to 52.2% of GDP, 36.6% of exports, and 28.5% of industrial production. In construction, its share reached 75.6%; in trade, 83%; and in services, 47.2%.

These figures show that entrepreneurship has become one of the pillars of Uzbekistan’s economy, accounting for a significant share of production, trade, construction, services, and exports. The scale of the private sector that has been formed creates a solid foundation for the further expansion of business activity, higher competitiveness, and sustainable economic growth in Uzbekistan.

Conclusion

The five open dialogues have formed a new tradition of interaction between the state and the business community. Its key feature is continuity: each new year begins with an assessment of already implemented decisions and then expands the horizon of new tasks.

During this period, many effective and useful decisions for business development have been adopted. However, the main outcome lies not so much in the number of measures taken as in the formation of a stable class of entrepreneurs capable of creating jobs, investing, introducing new technologies, and competing in foreign markets.

The sixth dialogue will be important precisely as the next stage of this trajectory. It is expected that particular importance will be attached to decisions that help introduce artificial intelligence and digital technologies into business, train managerial and engineering personnel, improve energy efficiency, implement international standards, and create competitive national brands.

If these expectations are translated into measurable decisions and implemented with the same continuity as in previous years, the open dialogue format will continue to perform its main function: turning the accumulated experience of entrepreneurs into a practical development program for the entire economy.

Khurshed Asadov,

Deputy Director of the Center for Economic Research and Reforms

At the invitation of President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev will pay a state visit to this country on March 11-13.

The agenda of the visit to Paris envisages talks and events at the highest level, as well as a number of meetings with official and business circles of France.

The agenda of the upcoming contacts includes issues of further development and strengthening of Uzbek-French multifaceted relations.

Priority attention will be given to expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in trade-economic and investment-financial spheres, promoting cooperation projects with leading companies and enterprises of France.

It is planned to adopt a package of intergovernmental and interdepartmental agreements as a result of the summit.

In addition, the Head of our state will meet with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay to discuss practical aspects of preparing and holding the 43rd session of the Organization's General Conference in Samarkand this autumn.

It is worth noting the intense program of events on the eve of the forthcoming visit.

On the eve of the 34th anniversary of our country's independence, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund has finalised the 2025 consultations in accordance with Article IV of the IMF Agreement. The main conclusion on the essence of the ongoing reforms is positive prospects for Uzbekistan's economic development against the backdrop of continued progress in the transition to a market economy. According to the published document, economic indicators remain strong, including sustainable growth rates, reduction of the consolidated budget deficit, current account deficit and sufficient level of international reserves.

Successful and effective implementation of structural reforms, according to the Fund's specialists, allows us to conclude that the prospects are favourable. Against the background of a high degree of uncertainty in global trade policy, the IMF baseline scenario predicts that real GDP growth will remain stably high in the coming years. Such trends are the result of economic openness, industrialisation, active investment policy and support for the formation of export potential of promising industries.

The set of reforms and effectively implemented decisions is consistent with available internal resources and reserves for long-term sustainable development of the country and regions. The course towards irreversible market transformations makes it possible to skilfully combine the instruments of targeted state support and opportunities for entrepreneurial initiative on the way to building a New Uzbekistan.

In recent years, as a result of openness and growing confidence in our country, there has been a progressive increase in capital investment. In 2017-2024, the total volume of foreign investment absorbed exceeded $113 billion. Foreign direct investment and loans account for more than 80 per cent of them. Activity in attracting finance is observed in the leading industries and the fuel and energy complex, which has a corresponding impact on the acceleration of industrialisation processes in almost all regions.

Increasing investment cooperation with China, Russia, Germany, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, the USA, the UK and other countries is becoming a source of attraction of advanced technological solutions and expertise, management methods, localisation of production and strengthening the export potential of promising industries and regions of Uzbekistan. Attracted resources are mainly invested in the technological re-equipment and modernisation of existing production facilities and the creation of new production facilities that did not exist before.

Over the past eight years, investment programmes have launched more than 96,000 projects worth about $100 billion, creating 1.8 million jobs. In 2024, compared to 2017, the value of investment projects put into operation increased almost eightfold, and the number of jobs grew 2.6 times.

We emphasise the factor of active involvement of our Head of State in this process. As a result of visits and top-level events, 366 investment agreements worth $75 billion have been reached since the beginning of this year. In particular, this year road maps have been approved for 222 investment projects worth about $45 billion.

Within the framework of the IV Tashkent International Investment Forum (June this year), agreements were reached on investments worth more than $30 billion (for the implementation of 144 joint projects). In April 2025, on the margins of the 5th International Industrial Exhibition "INNOPROM. Central Asia", held in Tashkent, within the framework of the 43 investment agreements reached, it is planned to attract an additional billion dollars to the industrial sector of the country.

In recent years, there has been an active practice of holding events to inform the international community about opportunities for the implementation of joint projects. Thus, this year, forums were held in 13 foreign countries as part of the Investors' Day of Uzbekistan, attended by representatives of 700 well-known foreign companies. More than 200 investment projects worth six billion dollars were presented to potential partners.

Among the important elements of Uzbekistan's modern industrial policy is localisation of production of high quality and competitive products, reduction of imports of finished goods and components. In accordance with the Localisation Programme, which included about 10 thousand projects, almost 300 trillion soums worth of products have been produced over the period 2020-2024. This led to import substitution in the amount of about $25 billion. The Localisation Programme allowed the creation of new production facilities for previously imported goods, contributed to changing the sectoral structure of industry and reducing dependence on external supplies by expanding the range of products and services.

THE NUMBER OF EXPORTERS IS GROWING

The formation of an export orientation has become one of the main conditions for success in implementing the plans outlined for Uzbekistan's industrialisation. Over 2017-2024, the total volume of exports exceeded $132 billion. It is noteworthy that the average annual growth rate of the country's exports over the period was 12-23 per cent. As a result of systematic and targeted support for exporters, the geography of exports of domestic products expanded by 55 states in 2024 and reached 186 countries over the past eight years. Last year, the number of exporting enterprises increased by 3,143 and their total number totalled 7,343.

Only due to the increase in the share of exports of higher value-added products in 2024, shipments to foreign markets increased by a billion dollars. Entering new promising markets, in turn, requires a significant improvement in the quality of manufactured products and their compliance with international standards. As part of the GSP+ programme, we implemented a set of organisational and technical measures to obtain Global G.A.P., Organic, OEKO-Tex, BSCI, CE marking certificates for our products and transition to ISO standards at more than five thousand enterprises. This made it possible last year alone to provide additional exports of 617 types of products worth $1.4 billion to the European Union.

Transition to more demanding standards and technological processes makes it possible to achieve the goals of producing and selling products of a completely different quality in new markets. Export supplies of goods to developed countries confirm the correctness of the chosen strategy, demonstrating its undeniable results. For example, due to the expansion of export geography and correct response to the conjuncture, the selling prices of Uzbekistan's fruit and vegetable products last year increased by an average of 14 per cent.

The industrial trend of economic development, having ensured a technological leap in a number of sectors, has had a significant impact on the evolution of the commodity nomenclature of exports. Quite recently, Uzbekistan was associated as a country with a monoculture of cotton, and its products were practically the sole leader of exports with absolute dominance of raw materials. In this regard, according to IMF experts, there is a decline in the share of cotton fibre exports from 0.2 per cent of GDP to zero from 2021 in the long term. Today Uzbekistan exports more and more high-tech products, and by 2024 its nomenclature has reached four thousand items.

For example, compared to 2017, exports of primary goods fell by 22 per cent last year, while the share of exports of finished goods increased 3.3 times, semi-finished goods - 4.4 times, and exports of services increased 2.9 times. At the same time, the transition to advanced processing of cotton contributed to the doubling of exports of garment and knitwear products to one billion dollars. This allowed our country to become the second supplier of textile products in the Russian market.

Domestic products are becoming a recognisable national brand, enjoying trust and popularity among foreign consumers. Last year, the goods of about 300 Uzbek enterprises received registration on the well-known electronic commercial platforms Alibaba, Wildberries and Ozon. As a result, sales of our companies reached $680 million.

At the end of the first half of 2025, the volume of exports grew by 33 per cent year-on-year and approached $17 billion. Since the beginning of the year, 1,557 domestic companies have been added to the exporters, accounting for $650 million in shipments.

The steady trend away from raw material exports towards finished high-tech products and services (tourism, transport, construction, IT and others) continues.

INVESTMENT DIALOGUE

It should be noted that our country is building and effectively operating an institutional environment to address strategically important issues of industrial development with a clear export orientation by attracting foreign capital. For this purpose, the relevant ministry and state agencies responsible for this complex of issues, as well as organisations promoting interaction between the state and the private sector have been established.

The Council of Foreign Investors under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan is an institutional platform for direct dialogue between the government and investors (including international financial institutions). The Council's work as an advisory and consultative body effectively promotes the attraction of foreign direct investment in priority sectors of the economy and the organization of quality business dialogue, taking into account international best practices.

The Council operates under the patronage of the President of Uzbekistan, who personally attends meetings of this body. In order to organise systematic work on attracting investments, the relevant decree of the leader of the country was adopted to implement the agreements reached at the last meeting of the Council. The document also implies ensuring the systematic implementation of initiatives and proposals put forward by the participants of the meeting, as well as measures to improve the activities of the Secretariat of the Council of Foreign Investors.

In parallel with the formation of an effective institutional environment, consistent work is being done to improve the legislative framework to ensure advanced industrial development, intensify investment processes and expand the export potential of industries and regions of the country. This process is under the close attention and direct involvement of Uzbek parliamentarians. As a result, in recent years more than 500 functions of the State in regulating business have been abolished, and about 70 functions have been transferred to public-private partnerships and outsourced to the private sector. Seventy-two types of licensed activities and 40 permits have been legally abolished to improve the business climate and simplify the business environment.

POSITIVE ASSESSMENT

These transformations are positively assessed by foreign rating agencies and organisations. Thus, according to the Index of Regulatory Restrictions on Foreign Direct Investment (Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation), our country has the best rating among the Central Asian region. This year, the country's performance on the Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom, the indicators ‘Freedom of Trade’ and ‘Freedom of Investment’ has improved considerably.

Let us return to the assessment of the prospects of dynamics and effectiveness of reforms based on the results of the recent IMF consultations with Uzbekistan in accordance with Article IV of the IMF Agreement. According to the Fund's outcome document, the opportunities arising from accelerated structural reforms, increased income and capital inflows, and favourable commodity price dynamics are positive for Uzbekistan's sustainable development.

Analysis of industrialisation indicators, investment activity and expansion of export indicators testifies to the real effectiveness of the ‘Uzbekistan - 2030’ Strategy and a set of accompanying measures to strengthen the country's economic potential and international standing. This, in turn, becomes a demonstration of the irreversibility of reforms aimed at building an independent New Uzbekistan.

Deputy of the Legislative Chamber

of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan,

Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor Durbek Akhmedov

Leading international media outlets - including “CNN”, “Forbes”, “The Wall Street Journal”, “The Economist”, “Arab News” and “China Daily” - characterize the project as a “global-scale megaproject”, “pearl of Central Asia and a space that is shaping the modern understanding of Islamic civilization”.

The opening of the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan has sparked broad international interest and has become a focal point for the world's leading media. Publications about the Center have appeared in more than 20 countries and in 7 languages - including English, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Turkish and Russian - reaching a total audience of over 1.5 billion people. These materials, prepared by international journalists, analysts and experts, reflect the high level of interest in the project from the global professional community.

International media emphasize the symbolic nature of this event. As “Arab News” notes, “the opening of the Center, initiated by President of Uzbekistan, took place during the holy month of Ramadan, just as the laying of the first stone did eight years ago, giving the project a special historical and spiritual continuity”. Meanwhile, “Khaleej Times” writes that the Center represents a “unique space where cutting-edge technology and modern scientific approaches are harmoniously combined”.

As “Forbes” notes, “under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the country is implementing a strategy of sustainable development and economic openness” and amidst rapid technological changes and growing global tensions - ranging from geopolitical conflicts to discussions on cultural identity - Center of Islamic Civilization “is transforming its civilizational heritage into a modern tool of soft power”. “The Wall Street Journal” points out that the Center “unites a rich historical legacy”, highlighting its integrative function.

“China Daily” refers to the Center of Islamic Civilization as “one of Uzbekistan's key cultural and scientific projects”, contributing to the strengthening of cultural and humanitarian cooperation between Uzbekistan and China, while “The Korea Times” notes that the complex “reflects the humanistic and enlightening essence of Islamic civilization” and “serves as a modern platform for cultural dialogue and scientific collaboration”.

“Euronews” characterizes the Center as a “new hub for heritage and research”, bringing together scientific research, education and modern exhibition practices. The Spanish publication “ABC” notes that “Uzbekistan is reviving the legacy of the Great Silk Road”, linking the project to the region's historical role as a center of civilizational exchange.

In turn, Hungarian publication “Hello Magyar” emphasizes that “the complex's architectural concept is impressive not only for its grandeur but also for its full compliance with modern urban planning and environmental sustainability standards”, noting its architectural expressiveness and alignment with contemporary sustainable development requirements. The Turkish publication “Yeni Konya” characterized the Center of Islamic Civilization as a “monumental and majestic center that can be considered one of the most important historical, cultural and artistic achievements of the Islamic world in the last century”.

In Azerbaijani media, specifically the publication “Caliber.az”, Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan has been described as a “candidate for the Guinness World Records”, highlighting its immense scale and uniqueness.

Center is becoming more than just a new museum; it is part of a broader narrative - a story of how countries rediscover their heritage and make it accessible to the world. Today, the Center is already open to visitors. Experts also note the Center's potential influence on the development of cultural tourism. This new complex is capable of becoming a key attraction for international visitors, strengthening interest in Uzbekistan as a destination with a unique historical and intellectual legacy. However, judging by the attention from the global press, its significance extends far beyond tourism.

OPEN CALL

The Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan invites you to participate

at the X Tashkent International Biennale

of Contemporary Art,

which will be held from 14 to 18 October 2024 in the city of Tashkent (Uzbekistan). Can take part in the Biennale artists of various areas of contemporary art and present your work on the topic

“Art and World”.

In addition to the main exhibition, the biennale will host a number of artistic and cultural events, such as exhibitions, lectures and master classes, an international conference, and a tour of the cities of Uzbekistan.

All expenses of foreign participants for their stay (meals, internal transportation, accommodation) in Tashkent, except for flights,

will be covered by the Organizing Committee.

Applications for participation in the Biennale are accepted until August 15, 2024 via Google form:

https://forms.gle/aUEMyfrsyQUsrp7b7

(detailed information is given in the attachment to this letter)

*Organizers have the right to make changes to the event program

*Application requirements

X International Biennale of Contemporary Art
(Tashkent, Uzbekistan, October 14-18, 2024)

Requirements for Art Works

*The organizers have the right to make amendments

On June 20, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a video conference call on training engineering personnel and improving the performance of higher educational institutions.

In today's competitive world, our country, relying on domestic resources, is moving towards industrial development. Every year 3 thousand industrial enterprises are put into operation, about 150 thousand jobs are created.

This year, projects worth 21 trillion soums will be implemented within the framework of state investment programs. Also, projects with foreign and regional investments worth 37.5 billion dollars are planned for this year.

Accordingly, the state pays great attention to science, education and innovation. For example, over the past four years, 2.2 trillion soums have been allocated to 1,727 practical, innovative, fundamental and startup projects. Spending on research and development has doubled.

However, the results in this area and the number of highly qualified engineers are still insufficient. There is a gap between higher education institutions and industry.

That is why rectors of technical universities were also invited to the meeting.

The head of state first of all dwelt on the problems in this sphere.

The 36 state technical higher educational institutions annually graduate 67 thousand specialists. However, the programs and specialties in these universities do not meet the requirements of manufacturers. As a result, 60 percent of engineers do not work in their specialty.

Higher educational institutions are limited to fundamental research, and practical developments for the economy are very rare. Hundreds of startups and innovative projects in engineering fields remain on paper.

In foreign universities there are such specialties as "value engineering", "comparative engineering", "reverse engineering". In our technical universities, these areas are not developed. As a result, industries have to spend a lot of money on training their employees abroad or attract specialists from abroad.

Although the coverage of higher education has increased 5 times in the last seven years, the interest of young people in engineering and technical specialties is very low. Some equipment of universities and scientific laboratories is outdated. Many professors and teachers are disconnected from practice. Rectors do not visit enterprises, do not familiarize themselves with new technologies, do not study equipment and machines.

Over the last four years, the number of research contracts of universities has tripled. Revenues from them have increased 6 times. However, the implementation of the results of scientific developments into production is slow. Not everyone is equally successful in patenting their inventions.

The President presented new initiatives to develop this area.

Now training and research processes in technical areas will be completely changed based on the best practices. 36 universities and their branches will be gradually consolidated, leaving a total of 20 technical universities. They will completely switch to the dual system of education.

Specialties that are not in demand in the labor market will be reduced. Some departments will be merged. The functions of dean offices to serve students will be digitalized. Based on foreign experience, a "Registrar's Office" will be created.

Each university will establish cooperation with prestigious technical universities of developed partner countries such as Germany, Japan, China, Russia, Italy, Turkey, South Korea, Singapore.

Based on the chain "industry-enterprise-university", each university will be assigned an industrial partner.

All engineering universities will open departments at their partner enterprises and introduce dual education. At the same time, the enterprises will allocate funds to equip the departments, stimulate teachers and students. Student internships and graduate training will be fully organized at partner enterprises.

Thirty-two sectoral councils will be established in the system of ministries and enterprises. They will determine priority directions of scientific research in technical fields together with institutes and will be customers of these researches.

Also at the first stage, higher engineering schools will be opened in 10 universities. Two-year applied master's degree programs will be implemented in them, and candidates will be selected by order of manufacturers. Enterprises will financially support the establishment and equipping of laboratories in higher engineering schools. The state will also provide highly qualified engineers-technologists. If every minister, industry leader, rector, professor and teacher feels deep sense of responsibility and works hard, we will definitely achieve this," Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

The status of pilot production enterprises of universities will be legislated. They will be granted privileges applicable to IT park residents. At least 60 percent of the employees of the subsidiaries will be doctoral candidates and students.

From next year, state grants for projects in technical areas will be increased fourfold. Partner organizations of universities will also be allowed to act as founders of enterprises.

Hokims of regions and heads of industries will be able to directly provide universities with orders for scientific and production projects up to 10 billion soums.

A system of allocating at least half a percent of the cost of investment projects for scientific activities will be introduced.

It has been determined to organize national contests "Best Idea", "Best Project" and "Best Invention" in engineering fields. Teachers, students and practicing engineers will be able to participate in them. The prize for the first place is an electric car.

Also 10 best participants, authors of ideas, projects and inventions will be sent for internship to such countries as Germany, Japan, China, Russia, Italy, Turkey, South Korea, Singapore.

The meeting continued in the format of an open dialog. Industry leaders, scientists, rectors and engineers expressed their opinions on the development of science and education in engineering.

It was assigned to draft a relevant decree based on the proposals.

- We need highly qualified engineers-technologists like air for the accelerated development of the economy. If every minister, industry leader, rector, professor and teacher feels deep sense of responsibility and works hard, we will definitely achieve this," Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

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