Speech by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev

Distinguished guests!

Today, we are celebrating with great pride and solemnity the 35th anniversary of the independence of our sacred Homeland.

Dear people of Uzbekistan!

Today, our respected elders, energetic young people, courageous women, and representatives of all sectors of society are celebrating this glorious holiday with immense joy and pride.

I sincerely congratulate you all on this great and sacred date — the 35th anniversary of the state independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Thirty-five years ago, through the firm will and determination of our people, Uzbekistan achieved state independence.

Our independence is rooted in the ancient history, traditions of statehood, and civilization of our people, whose heritage spans more than three thousand years.

During the First and Second Renaissances, great thinkers such as Muhammad Al-Khwarizmi, Ahmad Al-Fergani, Abu Rayhan Beruni, Abu Ali ibn Sina, Mirzo Ulugbek, and Mir Alisher Navoi made invaluable contributions to the treasury of human thought.

The state established by Sahibkiran Amir Temur became a symbol of justice and creative achievement, while the dreams of our Jadid ancestors for freedom and national development are being realized in the New Uzbekistan.

Independence restored the honor and dignity of our people and revitalized our sacred religion, native language, and national values, which had been fading from collective memory.

Today, we respectfully honor the memory of our great ancestors and Jadids who sacrificed their lives for the freedom we enjoy today. We also pay tribute to all our compatriots who devoted their lives, labor, and courage to strengthening the independence of our country.

We will forever preserve the bright memory of Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov, the First President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, an outstanding statesman and political figure.

The true significance of independence is most clearly reflected in the dignity of every person and the freedom to live one’s life.

From the very first days of our reforms, listening to the people and solving their problems were identified as the highest priorities. The principle of “For Human Dignity!” was placed at the heart of state policy.

First and foremost, long-standing problems that had burdened our people for many years were addressed, including the “cotton yoke,” forced and child labor, currency conversion restrictions, and residency registration restrictions.

Most importantly, fear and anxiety in people’s hearts have been replaced by confidence and peace of mind.

Thanks to strong political will, Uzbekistan opened itself to the world, resolved border issues, and strengthened friendly relations and cooperation with neighboring countries.

As a result of fundamental reforms in monetary, tax, customs, and investment policies, our country rose 80 positions in the Economic Freedom Index.

Previously, Uzbekistan attracted approximately 2–3 billion U.S. dollars in foreign investment annually. Today, this figure has increased to between 40 and 50 billion U.S. dollars.

Along with investment, advanced technologies, modern knowledge, and new economic opportunities are entering our country.

Three years ago, we set a target of increasing our gross domestic product to 160 billion U.S. dollars by 2030. Despite disruptions in global logistics and instability around the world, this threshold will already be exceeded this year, and Uzbekistan will join the group of upper-middle-income countries.

These achievements are the result of the dedicated labor, intellectual potential, and nationwide unity of our people.

Today, more than 650,000 families have become homeowners of modern housing, while the spirit and appearance of New Uzbekistan are reaching thousands of mahallas.

Having openly acknowledged the existence of poverty in our country, we established a mahalla-level system aimed at increasing incomes, providing vocational training, improving healthcare, educating children, and enhancing the living conditions of families in need.

As a result of consistent efforts, the poverty rate has declined from 35 percent in 2017 to 4 percent today.

Behind these figures are the joy and gratitude of 10 million people whose families have achieved greater prosperity and a better quality of life.

Therefore, we have firmly established the principle that the main criterion of social policy is not statistics, but tangible changes in the lives of individuals and families.

To take a worthy place in the global community, our country needs a generation of independent-minded specialists with deep knowledge and mastery of the professions of the future.

That is why we are enriching the educational process with higher-quality content, restoring the prestige of teachers, and consistently increasing their incomes.

Over the past ten years, while our country’s population has grown by 8 million, preschool education coverage has risen to 78 percent, and an additional 1.5 million places have been created in schools.

The establishment of Presidential, creative, and specialized schools, together with expanded opportunities to learn foreign languages and acquire professions, has given our education system new substance.

The number of university students has reached 1.6 million. For parents, seeing their children receive higher education is no longer merely a dream but an attainable goal.

More than half of all university students are young women, a distinctive feature of the Third Renaissance.

Educated girls mean an educated family, an educated generation, and an enlightened society.

Alongside education, science, modern technologies, and innovation have been identified as key drivers of development.

New impetus has been given to the advancement of information technology, artificial intelligence, and the creative economy.

We have set the goal of engaging 10 million young people in the digital industry and future professions.

It is also a matter of particular pride that, just before Independence Day, the Samarkand-2028 satellite was successfully launched into space in collaboration with Chinese partners.

Uzbekistan should become a center for advanced technological initiatives, while the Uzbek language should become a language of knowledge creation and technological innovation in the digital space.

In recent years, spending on healthcare development has increased more than eightfold.

Opportunities to receive high-quality medical care have expanded both in the capital and in the regions.

A total of 652 new medical institutions have been established, while broader opportunities have been created for the private sector.

As a result, the volume of medical services has tripled, and more than 100 sophisticated diagnostic and treatment methods that were previously available only abroad have now been successfully introduced in Uzbekistan.

Life expectancy at birth has increased from 66.4 years in 1991 to 75.4 years in 2025, while infant and maternal mortality rates have declined fourfold.

Unique scientific and educational centers worthy of our people’s priceless spiritual heritage have been established, including the Islamic Civilization Center and the memorial complexes of Imam Bukhari and Burhaniddin Marginani.

These sites are gaining wide recognition in Uzbekistan, throughout the Islamic world, and internationally.

The work aimed at studying and widely promoting the scientific and spiritual legacy of our great ancestors will continue consistently.

The youth of New Uzbekistan are our country’s greatest wealth and the decisive force of tomorrow.

Every year, 20–25 trillion Uzbek soums are allocated to support purposeful and hardworking young men and women. Young entrepreneurs now account for 35 percent of business representatives.

The historic achievements of our athletes at the Tokyo and Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, the national football team’s first-ever participation in the FIFA World Cup, and the victories of our young people at international academic olympiads, competitions, and festivals are a source of immense pride for our people.

As we look ahead to the World Chess Olympiad in Samarkand and Grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov’s pursuit of the world chess title, I wish our young people great success and new victories.

I urge our young men and women never to rest on their achievements, but to continue moving forward and constantly strive for new horizons.

Today, Uzbekistan is entering a new stage of development.

The next decade will be a period of national advancement for us.

This goal will be achieved through the intellectual potential, labor, and unity of our people.

To this end, seven national programs will be implemented in the coming years to enhance the dignity and well-being of every individual.

These programs will unite the country’s priority areas around a common goal, covering education, healthcare, a high-tech economy, environmental protection, justice, mahalla development, and foreign policy.

The first national program aims to make knowledge and skills the country’s main capital for development.

Under this program, enrollment of six-year-old children in preparatory groups will reach 100 percent within a short period, while existing incentives for establishing private kindergartens will be retained.

International assessment programs will fully cover all schools.

Technical schools will introduce international educational standards, and the number of young people trained in high-income professions will increase to 1 million.

We will ensure that no young man or woman in New Uzbekistan is left without a profession and will work to place at least 10 of the country’s universities among the world’s top 1,000 universities in the coming years.

The second national program will focus on ensuring people’s health and longevity.

Government spending on public health will increase to 5 percent of GDP over the next five years.

By strengthening preventive care, the healthcare system will shift toward a model focused on preserving and improving public health.

State health insurance will cover all households in the country.

To strengthen competition in specialized medicine, at least five of the world’s most reputable clinics will be attracted to Uzbekistan.

Our country will become a center for the development of modern medicine, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical education.

The third national program aims to transition the economy to a model based on high technologies and labor productivity.

To this end, 450 billion U.S. dollars in foreign investment will be attracted over the next ten years while sustaining high rates of economic growth.

By 2030, gross domestic product will reach 300 billion U.S. dollars, and 2 million high-income jobs will be created in the industrial sector.

The development of startups, venture capital, and artificial intelligence will become a priority.

A comprehensive ecosystem will be created to enable small businesses to grow into medium-sized enterprises, and medium-sized enterprises to grow into large companies and corporations.

As a result of these measures, GDP per capita will exceed 10,000 U.S. dollars over the next decade.

This will ensure that economic development translates into tangible improvements in people’s incomes and quality of life.

The fourth national program calls for a fundamental change in our attitude toward water and nature.

Over the next five years, water-saving technologies will be introduced across all cultivated land, making this a nationwide priority.

The nationwide “Yashil Makon” movement will be elevated to a higher standard.

Green areas around schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and apartment buildings will be protected as inviolable public assets, while greenery in district and city centers will increase to 30 percent in the coming years.

Our attitude toward nature reflects our culture, the responsibility of the state, and the quality of our development.

The fifth national program aims to strengthen judicial independence and establish the rule of law as a shared value.

Legal education will be organized in schools on a clear and systematic basis, while reforms to strengthen legal guarantees for citizens and entrepreneurs will be pursued resolutely.

Measures to prevent cybercrime, drug addiction, and human trafficking will be further strengthened.

Efforts to combat the shadow economy, organized crime, and violations of women’s and children’s rights will be taken to a new level.

The sixth national program aims to make the mahalla the principal driver of community development.

People’s sentiments, family well-being, the aspirations of young people, and the initiatives of entrepreneurs are first and foremost expressed in the mahalla.

From now on, district budgets, investment programs, and infrastructure projects will be developed based on the needs identified by the mahallas.

Citizens’ demands and needs, as well as the well-being of the mahalla, will serve as the main criteria.

The seventh national program aims to comprehensively strengthen Uzbekistan’s standing as a country of peace and friendship and a land of tolerance.

Representatives of more than 130 nations and ethnic groups, as well as 16 religious denominations, live in peace and harmony as one family in our country.

Interethnic harmony and religious tolerance are a priceless asset of our people.

Uzbekistan’s open, pragmatic, and peace-oriented policy contributes to long-term development.

We have achieved historic progress in expanding good-neighborly relations, strategic partnerships, and friendly ties in Central Asia, as well as in strengthening relations with the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the European Union, the United States and other countries of the Americas, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Arab-Muslim world.

New areas of cooperation have been opened with the countries of Eastern Europe, Africa, and Latin America.

The number of states that have established diplomatic relations with Uzbekistan has reached nearly 170.

We will continue to pursue a multifaceted, carefully considered, and balanced foreign policy and economic diplomacy.

Between 2027 and 2029, Uzbekistan will chair the Non-Aligned Movement for the first time and put forward initiatives to enhance the effectiveness of this global organization, which brings together more than 120 states.

We will also continue to pursue our constructive policy toward Afghanistan.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the representatives of the diplomatic corps and foreign media, as well as to the distinguished guests from the United States, Türkiye, and Singapore, for their effective cooperation during this solemn event.

Today, we are stronger than yesterday.

God willing, tomorrow we will be even stronger.

Thirty-five years of independent development have demonstrated one enduring truth: when the people and the government unite around a shared goal and act with full dedication, remarkable achievements become possible.

I call upon all our citizens to unite and work together to build a new life and a promising future.

I firmly believe that, through the resilience, hard work, and unity of our people, we will undoubtedly create a golden era and a new historic chapter for our Homeland.

Once again, I sincerely congratulate all our compatriots on the 35th anniversary of the state independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

May peace reign in our country, and may every family enjoy prosperity, well-being, and happiness!

Long live the Republic of Uzbekistan!

Long live the people of Uzbekistan!