Azamat Bobokulovich Toshev,
Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the interethnic relations and friendly cooperation with foreign countries.
For thousands of years, Uzbekistan has become a world civilization where representatives of various nationalities and religions lived in peace, and where the cultures of different peoples enriched each other. As an important factor in the development of New Uzbekistan, special attention was paid to strengthening of interethnic solidarity and friendly relations with foreign countries, and the legal basis was created for ensuring equal rights and freedom of representatives of 16 religious denominations, more than 130 nationalities and ethnic groups living in our country.
The main goal of the state policy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of interethnic relations is to ensure the equality of citizens before the law, regardless of gender, race, nationality, language, religion, social origin, faith, personal and social status, as well as strengthening the unity of the multiethnic people of Uzbekistan, the atmosphere of interethnic harmony in society, it is defined as the expansion of friendly relations with foreign countries, the creation of conditions for the preservation and development of the mother tongue, customs and traditions of different nationalities and ethnic groups.
In order to achieve these goals it is necessary to improve the mechanisms of cooperation between state bodies and institutions of civil society, to further strengthen the feeling of a large multiethnic family in society, solidarity between representatives of different nationalities and ethnic groups living in our republic, to educate the young generation in the spirit of love and tolerance for the Motherland and to establish friendly relations with foreign countries. Support of compatriots abroad is the priority direction of Uzbekistan’s state policy in the field of interethnic relations.
In recent years, based on the initiatives of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev a unique system has been created to ensure interethnic harmony, as a result of fundamental reforms carried out in New Uzbekistan, interethnic relations have risen to a new level based on the noble values of friendship and tolerance which have been characteristic of our people since time immemorial, and by establishing good neighborly relations in Central Asia on all aspects a constructive dialogue was established.
As an important factor in the development of the new Uzbekistan, special attention was paid to the strengthening of interethnic solidarity and friendly relations with foreign countries, and the legal basis for ensuring the equal rights and freedom of representatives of 16 religious denominations, more than 130 nationalities and ethnic groups living in our country was created.
Article 4 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan stipulates that the Republic of Uzbekistan shall ensure a respectful attitude toward the languages, customs and traditions of all nationalities and ethnic groups living on its territory, and create necessary conditions for their development.
As a result of the study of foreign experience in the field of legal regulation of interethnic relations, more than 45 regulatory legal documents on the improvement of legal documents – 2 laws, 15 decrees and 10 resolutions of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 3 resolutions of the Oliy Majlis, and a number of resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers were adopted.
In particular, on May 19, 2017, at the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a separate state body – the Committee on interethnic relations and friendly cooperation with foreign countries under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan was established.
In cooperation with 157 national cultural centers, 38 friendship societies and 98 societies of compatriots abroad, the Committee makes a significant contribution to ensuring interethnic and inter-religious harmony and developing friendly relations with foreign countries.
As a result of a rational policy, in Uzbekistan television and radio programs and broadcasts are broadcast in 12 languages, newspapers and magazines are published in 14 languages, and education in 1,865 of more than 10,000 general education schools in our country is being conducted in Uzbek and 6 languages, namely Karakalpak, Russian, Tajik, Turkmen, Kyrgyz and Kazakh languages.
According to the Resolution of the President of Uzbekistan, on June 26, 2018, the establishment of the Public Diplomacy Center of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan under the Committee helps to strengthen mutual trust and good neighborliness, interethnic and inter-religious harmony, and strengthen inter-civilizational dialogue between the member- countries of the organization.
Concept of the state policy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of cooperation with compatriots, approved by the President on October 25, 2018. It allowed us to rapidly develop constant communication and cooperation with our compatriots living abroad. As a result, the Committee signed more than 45 memorandums of cooperation with related organizations abroad.
On August 11, 2021, the establishment of the “Vatandoshlar” (Compatriots) public foundation created a practical mechanism of cooperation with compatriots.
The adoption of the State policy concept of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of interethnic relations by the President of Uzbekistan on November 15, 2019 has raised international relations and friendly cooperation with foreign countries to a new level.
The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan was adopted in 2021 on establishing July 30 as the “Day of Peoples Friendship” in our country.
In order to adequately reward the work of local and foreign partners who have contributed to the strengthening of the atmosphere of interethnic friendship and harmony in Uzbekistan, the “Friendship of Peoples” badge was established based on the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 335 as of June 1, 2021.
The “Religious Tolerance” badge, which was established based on the government's decision in September 2023, allows to encourage representatives of state and public organizations who have made a significant contribution to the improvement of the effectiveness of the religious and educational sphere.
In the past period, more than 500 activists of national cultural centers received state awards, were honored with orders and medals, 14 of which were awarded the title of “Hero of Uzbekistan”.
In order to ensure the continuity of large-scale reforms, the development strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026, which was developed based on the principle of “From the strategy of actions to the strategy of development”, established the strengthening of the environment of inter-ethnic harmony and religious tolerance in the society as a special priority goal.
According to the Decree No. PD-5430 as of May 4, 2018, “Friendship Houses” were established in the centers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan and regions, and national cultural centers were placed there free of charge. A total of 30 billion soums have been allocated from the state budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the support of national cultural centers over the past six years.
Also, the anniversaries of Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, Turkish, Korean, Azerbaijani, Belarusian, Bashkir, Tatar and other national cultural centers will be attended by official delegations with the participation of artists from the Republics of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Korea, Azerbaijan, Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, as well as culture and was organized at the expense of the state budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
In order to ensure intercultural harmony every year in Uzbekistan the national holidays of representatives of different nationalities are widely celebrated. They are: “Vardavar”, a flower festival of Armenians, “Sabantuy” of Tatars and Bashkirs, “Ohi” of Greeks, “Chhusok” and “Sollal” of Koreans, “Dojinki” of Poles, “Christmas” and “Maslenitsa” of Russians, “Chun Tze” of Chineses.
In accordance with the special resolution “Enlightenment and religious tolerance” adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2018 based on the proposal of the leader of Uzbekistan, the “Week of Tolerance" held annually in our country dedicated to the International Day of Tolerance on November 16 will further strengthen friendship.
According to the development strategy of the new Uzbekistan it is planned further improvement of the system of state support of national cultural centers, strengthening the material and technical base of folklore ensembles at national cultural centers, creating additional favorable conditions for young people of different nationalities, strengthening the culture of tolerance in them, international relations and foreign countries, to organize a “Do’stlik” concert hall in the committee of friendly relations with.
Also, it is envisaged to improve the activities of friendship societies in order to expand international relations and inter-cultural cooperation by using the opportunities of “people’s diplomacy” in the cultural-humanitarian sphere, to develop friendly relations with foreign countries.
In addition, measures are being taken by the state to provide additional support to mass media operating in foreign languages and covering state policy in the field of interethnic relations.
In conclusion, the rational policy aimed at ensuring spiritual progress and bringing the industry to a new level in the development strategy of New Uzbekistan serves to ensure harmony between representatives of different nationalities in the society, to unite all nationalities and ethnic groups in our country into a single family.