A presentation of a book dedicated to the reform course of the President of Uzbekistan took place in Islamabad

The chief guest of the ceremony was the Federal Minister of National Heritage and Culture of Pakistan Avrangzeb Khan Khichi. The event was attended by heads of ministries and departments, parliamentarians, representatives of the diplomatic corps, business and scientific circles, the media, as well as compatriots living in Islamabad and its environs.

The event began with the performance of the national anthems of Uzbekistan and Pakistan, after which a documentary film dedicated to the activities of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was shown.

Opening the presentation, the director general of the institute, Sohaid Mahmood, expressed satisfaction that the academic ceremony is taking place within the walls of the institute, which, according to him, symbolizes the progressive development and strengthening of Uzbek-Pakistani cooperation. He emphasized that the book contains 39 analytical materials that consistently reveal the essence of political, economic, social and cultural reforms, modernization processes, as well as the open and pragmatic foreign policy of Uzbekistan.

Sohaid Mahmud noted that in such strategic documents as the “Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2022–2026”, “Strategy “Uzbekistan-2030” and other conceptual programs reflect the will of the Uzbek people to create, key government initiatives for the development of the country and the principles of building a social state. These topics, he said, were covered in detail in the book.

Ambassador of Uzbekistan Alisher Tukhtaev, speaking with a welcoming speech, emphasized that in a short period of time two important books about Uzbekistan were presented in Islamabad - the work of Muhammad Abbas Khan “Uzbekistan: The Third Renaissance – The Concept of the Future” and the work of Mahmud ul-Hassan Khan “Shavkat Mirziyoyev: Great Leader of Reforms and Regional Integration.” This, according to the diplomat, indicates the growing interest of the Pakistani scientific community in modern Uzbekistan.

The Ambassador noted that the book details the large-scale reforms carried out under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev - in the field of macroeconomics, financial liberalization, poverty reduction, foreign policy, cultural diplomacy and regional integration. The author, the ambassador emphasized, is based on the key principle of the Uzbek leader: “Reforms are carried out not for the sake of statistics, but for the sake of the person, his dignity and future.”

The book, according to him, reflects successes in the development of the digital economy, “green” energy, attracting foreign investment and creating new jobs for young people. It was also noted that the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and Pakistan, thanks to the efforts of the leaders of both countries - President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, reached a qualitatively new level. Joint work is underway on the project to build the Trans-Afghan Railway and increase mutual trade to 2 billion US dollars.

Federal Minister Avrangzeb Khan Khichi in his speech called the transformations taking place in Uzbekistan the “Uzbek model of development,” noting that he personally witnessed positive changes during his visit to the country.

“We live in a global world, and the positive processes taking place among our neighbors, including Uzbekistan, resonate in our region. Expanding trade and economic ties and implementing joint infrastructure projects will bring us even closer. The government of Pakistan highly values the initiatives of President Mirziyoyev,” the minister emphasized.

The author of the book, Dr. Mahmud ul-Hassan Khan, noted that the main goal of his work was to comprehensively highlight the essence of the reforms carried out under the leadership of President Mirziyoyev, as well as a scientific analysis of their impact on the processes of regional integration and increasing awareness of the Pakistani public about these transformations.

He emphasized that in the center Uzbek reforms are based on the person and his value, and the ongoing economic liberalization, modernization of public administration, poverty reduction and improvement of the business climate allowed the country to enter the phase of sustainable development in a short period of time. According to the author, the foreign policy of Uzbekistan under the leadership of Shavkat Mirziyoyev is based on the principles of openness, good neighborliness and constructive dialogue, which has contributed to the transformation of Central Asia into a region of trust, cooperation and stability.

Separately, he highlighted the initiatives of the Uzbek leader on the construction of the Trans-Afghan railway and energy projects that create a strategic platform connecting Central and South Asia and strengthening transport and economic ties of the regions.

In conclusion, the author described President Shavkat Mirziyoyev as a modern leader who not only manages the process of deep internal reforms, but also promotes the ideas of regional integration. The book, he said, is designed to strengthen friendship and mutual understanding between the peoples of Uzbekistan and Pakistan.

During the ceremony, the author symbolically handed over a copy of the book to the Embassy of Uzbekistan.

Speaking further, the President of the Analytical Center for South Asian Studies and International Relations, retired Major General Said Amir Khalid Jaffri noted that recently events dedicated to Uzbekistan are increasingly being held in Pakistan, which indicates the beginning of a new stage in bilateral relations.

He emphasized that the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, elected in 2016, managed to transform the country’s foreign policy, strengthen trust between the states of Central Asia and intensify ties with South Asia. Within the country, the general noted, special attention is paid to socially oriented economic reforms, modernization, youth development and ensuring freedom of speech and the media.

According to him, thanks to consistent international activity, Uzbekistan has become a “regional center of cooperation,” which has contributed to the growth of foreign investment. Behind the achieved results, Jaffrey emphasized, are many years of experience in public administration of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a deep understanding of the needs of the country and the ability to see the prospects for its development.

Dean of the Faculty of Bahria University, Professor Adam Saud noted that talking about Central Asia, especially about Uzbekistan, is a great responsibility.

“Every visit to Uzbekistan shows new impressive changes. Back in 2017, I wrote a forecast about the prospects for reforms - today about 85% of these forecasts have already been implemented,” he emphasized.

Kazakh Ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin noted in his speech that transforming Central Asia into a zone of peace and prosperity remains a foreign policy priority of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

“Thanks to the diplomatic efforts of the Uzbek leader, many previous contradictions were resolved, and the region entered a new era of trust and integration. The reforms being implemented in Uzbekistan ensure sustainable economic growth and strengthen its international authority,” said the Kazakh diplomat.

Turkish Ambassador Irfan Naziroglu emphasized that Uzbekistan occupies an important place in the Turkic world, and the participation of President Mirziyoyev in the summits of the Organization of Turkic States gives a powerful impetus to its activities.

He recalled that the head of Uzbekistan was awarded the highest award “Order of the Turkic World” for his outstanding contribution to strengthening the unity of the Turkic peoples and promoting common interests in the international arena.

“President Mirziyoyev’s initiatives in the field of transport, energy, innovation, youth and humanitarian policy confirm that Uzbekistan has become an intellectual “driver” of integration in the Turkic space. And today’s presentation of the book in Pakistan is a clear indication of the significance of the Uzbek leader’s efforts to strengthen ties between Central and South Asia,” the Turkish Ambassador emphasized.