Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A new project has been launched in Mazar-i-Sharif to erect a monument dedicated to the great Uzbek poet and thinker Alisher Navoi.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by the city mayor, local officials, the head of the Afghan Foreign Ministry’s northern office, and staff of Uzbekistan’s Consulate General.

The previous monument had been dismantled earlier. According to Uzbek Foreign Ministry spokesperson Akhror Burkhanov, local authorities decided to remove it because the location was deemed unsuitable. He emphasized that a more dignified and grand complex will be created to honor Navoi.

The Afghan side noted that the demolition decision had not been coordinated with the Ministry of Culture and Information or with the public, expressing regret over the matter. However, it assured that Alisher Navoi’s legacy will be properly commemorated. The plan includes landscaping the site, restoring informational plaques about the poet’s life and works, and erecting a new monument on a square that will be named after the renowned thinker.

The Afghan government reaffirmed its strong commitment to preserving the memory of Alisher Navoi and pledged to take all necessary steps to ensure his name is honored appropriately.