Uzbekistan is the birthplace of tolerance and solidarity

If the greatest gift given to man is life, then the greatest goal to which humanity has always strived is, without a doubt, peace and harmony. That is why we always wish each other peace and tranquility, health and prosperity.

Uzbekistan has always been a place of tolerance, harmony and friendship. Representatives of different nationalities living on the same land, drinking water from the same stream, sharing happiness and sorrow together, have lived side by side for centuries. No wonder such expressions as “Tolerant Uzbekistan!” appeared. and “The generous Uzbek people.”

In a multinational and multi-religious state, interethnic accord and interfaith harmony are important factors that create a solid basis for stability and development, determining its prospects.

One of the main factors why today our country is developing rapidly, the ongoing reforms are bearing fruit, and the well-being of the people is constantly growing, is that representatives of more than 130 nationalities and nationalities, 16 religious denominations live together in our country, as a single people of Uzbekistan.

The fundamental basis of reforms in this direction is that our Constitution enshrines that the Republic of Uzbekistan ensures respect for the languages, customs and traditions of nationalities and nationalities, living on its territory, conditions are created for their development. Today, education in schools is conducted in 7 languages, which creates conditions for students of different nationalities of our country to receive education in their native language. National television and radio channels broadcast in 12 languages, and newspapers and magazines are published in 14 languages, creating equal conditions for receiving information in the native language.

Representatives of different nationalities and nationalities living in our country, being the united people of Uzbekistan, contribute to the development of our country with their active and dedicated work. About 5 thousand representatives of more than 35 nationalities work in the civil service alone.

In particular, in such political institutions of the country as the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis - 12.7 percent of deputies and local Kengashes - 11.2 percent of deputies are representatives of different nationalities and nationalities. And such achievements are endless; we see how interethnic harmony and unity are reflected in all aspects of society.

The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev considers the ethnic diversity that has existed on the soil of our country since ancient times as a unique social phenomenon and pays special attention to the preservation and further strengthening of harmony between nationalities, nationalities and confessions. As a result of the wise policy of the head of our state, based on the principles of prudence, humanism and justice, national unity is strengthening in our country, and our precious and beloved Motherland is becoming a place of peace, friendship and mutual respect, where human dignity and happiness reign.

As the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized in his speech at a meeting with deputies of the chambers of the Oliy Majlis, representatives political parties and the public on May 8, 2023: “Our main wealth is our great multinational people, who consider Uzbekistan their only Homeland. The highest duty of each of us is to carefully preserve, like the apple of our eye, a priceless treasure - interethnic friendship and harmony that have established themselves in our beloved country.”

Indeed, in New Uzbekistan, interethnic and interfaith harmony and mutual understanding, based on loyalty to the spiritual heritage of ancestors, educating the younger generation in the spirit of tolerance, respect for national and universal values and patriotism, have become one of the most important priorities of state policy.

Large-scale reforms, implemented in all spheres of public life on the initiative of the head of state, also marked new milestones and initiatives in the field of interethnic and interfaith relations.

In this sense, the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On measures to bring to a new stage the strengthening of national harmony and ties with compatriots abroad”, adopted in March 2025, and the Resolution “On measures for the effective organization of activities Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Issues of Interethnic Relations and Compatriots Abroad" bring work in this direction to a qualitatively new level.

In accordance with these documents, on the basis of the Committee on Interethnic Relations and Friendly Relations with Foreign Countries under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Committee on Issues of Interethnic Relations and Compatriots Abroad of the Republic of Uzbekistan was created.

The main objectives of the Committee were the harmonization of interethnic relations, strengthening friendship, harmony, tolerance and unity in society, the formation of a single civil identity, strengthening the involvement of all nationalities and nationalities in national development, promoting the preservation of the national identity of compatriots abroad and mobilizing their social and economic potential for the development of our Motherland, as well as promoting the prevention and identification of factors that negatively affect interethnic harmony.

Also, the fact that it is planned to develop draft concepts of state policy in the field of ensuring national unity and strengthening ties with compatriots abroad indicates that work in this direction will be consistently continued.

First of all, as an important element of ensuring national unity, special attention is paid to the preservation and transmission of culture, language, customs, and values to the younger generation and traditions of all nationalities and nationalities living in Uzbekistan.

As is known, the role of national cultural centers is very important in the systematic implementation of work in this direction. Today there are 157 national cultural centers in our country. Their activities are constantly supported by the state. Based on the initiatives of the President, starting from 2021, state subsidies are allocated for the operation of these centers and their implementation of activities aimed at popularizing culture, language, customs, values ​​and traditions.

For national cultural centers operating in the regions, premises are allocated in the “Houses of Friendship”, where they use these places completely free of charge. Also, in the building of the Committee on Interethnic Relations, located in the center of Tashkent, all conditions have been created for the work of 27 national cultural centers of the republican and city level.

In particular, the construction in July of this year next to the building of the Committee on Interethnic Relations of the Pavilion of National Cultural Centers - a unique symbol of national harmony, where national houses of 22 nationalities were built, was a great gift from the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan national cultural centers. This pavilion can safely be called a place of national harmony.

The grand opening of the pavilion of national cultural centers took place as part of the "Friendship" festival, which took place throughout our country from July 25 to 31 this year, in honor of Peoples' Friendship Day, celebrated on July 30.

The event was attended by members of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis and deputies of the Legislative Chamber, representatives of ministries and departments, the public and the media information, guests from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China, as well as heads and employees of diplomatic missions of 30 states and international organizations in Uzbekistan.

Participants of the event assessed the construction of this pavilion as a unique event, emphasizing that it opens up another excellent opportunity for the nationalities and peoples living in Uzbekistan to preserve and develop their culture, customs and traditions, which fully reflects large-scale reforms carried out in our country in the field of interethnic harmony and national unity, and serves as a platform for mutual cultural exchange.

UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan Akiko Fujii, who took part in the event, noted that she highly appreciates the respect and attention shown to representatives of different nationalities and nationalities in Uzbekistan, and considers the opening of the pavilion of national cultural centers truly attention to people and a progressive idea.

Thanks to the strong political will of our President, special attention is paid to close cooperation with compatriots living abroad. One of such projects is the “Uz Global Think” forum. This project is being implemented in the form of a constant dialogue between compatriots living abroad - representatives of expert and scientific circles - with the aim of creating business platforms, exchanging opinions on issues such as socio-economic development of society, environmental sustainability and quality education.

A platform is also being created for the exchange of views among compatriots abroad about personalities in academic circles, their life paths, successes and recommendations that will serve the development of the New Uzbekistan.

In addition, in order to further increase the contribution of compatriots abroad to the economic power of the new Uzbekistan, following the example of the UNDP program “Transfer of knowledge through compatriots abroad”, work is underway to implement the transfer of human capital, which will contribute to ensuring innovative socio-economic development and environmental sustainability.

The Uzbek Graduates program is being developed, which will unite and support compatriots who graduated from foreign educational institutions, living and working in the territory of foreign countries.

All these tasks serve the further development of Uzbekistan with the participation of compatriots abroad.

One of the most important human freedoms, undoubtedly, is freedom of conscience. The adoption in 2021 of a new version of the Law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations” was another important step towards the institutional strengthening of freedom of conscience in our country. This law further strengthened the principles of tolerance and created a solid legal basis for the activities of all faiths.

Today, 2,361 religious organizations belonging to 16 faiths operate freely in Uzbekistan. Of these, 2,164 are Islamic, 197 are non-Islamic: 180 Christian, 8 Jewish, 7 Baha'i, as well as a Buddhist temple, a Hare Krishna center and an interfaith Bible society. In 2017–2024 alone, 108 new religious organizations were registered. New mosques, Christian churches and temples were built, and existing ones were renovated. This is a practical confirmation of respect for all faiths.

At the same time, we have every reason to say that the adoption on February 25 of this year of the Law “On the Concept of Ensuring Freedom of Conscience of Citizens and State Policy in the Religious Sphere in the Republic of Uzbekistan” was the most important event in the life of society.

The Concept will serve the multinational and multi-religious people of Uzbekistan to realize the interests of society in general, ensuring its harmonious coexistence on the basis of equality, social justice and unity.

The II International Forum “Dialogue of Declarations” was held in Tashkent and Samarkand on September 10–13 this year.

The first forum “Dialogue of Declarations” was held in Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara over five days in May 2022. Leading scientists from a number of foreign countries, as well as representatives of local authorities and religious organizations took part in the forum. The Bukhara Declaration, adopted as a result of this conference, was subsequently recognized as an official document at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. This confirms the importance of the Uzbek model for the formation of a tolerant society consisting of people of different nationalities, religions and beliefs.

The regular holding of the “Dialogue of Declarations” forum, the participation of influential foreign and international participants in it testifies to the high recognition in the world of Uzbekistan’s policy aimed at ensuring freedom of religion and interfaith harmony. In addition, the II Forum confirms Uzbekistan’s commitment to the principle of openness, the development of an atmosphere of religious tolerance and tolerance in order to bring interfaith dialogue to a higher level of values. We are also convinced that this conference will serve as a unique platform for the exchange of best practices in ensuring the peaceful coexistence of peoples and representatives of different faiths.

I would like to conclude the article with the following words from the festive congratulations of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the occasion of July 30 - People's Friendship Day:

“In the current extremely dangerous situation, when various conflicts on national and religious grounds continue in different regions of the world, we will continue to work to further strengthen our greatest asset - peace and stability, an atmosphere of mutual respect and harmony in our country - based on the idea of a united Uzbekistan, educating young people as owners of national and universal values, knowledge, professions, deepening the principles of inclusiveness.

We mobilize all our forces and capabilities to reliably protect the rights and interests of representatives of all nationalities and faiths who are proud to be citizens of Uzbekistan, as well as our compatriots abroad, everywhere, in accordance with the requirements of our Constitution and laws."

Kakhramon Sariev,

Chairman of the Committee

on issues of interethnic relations

and compatriots abroad of the Republic of Uzbekistan