The chairman of the 2nd Tashkent city election commission A.Ahmedov opened the meeting. The participants received information on the program of the candidate, which covers such issues as continuation of wide-scale economic and sociopolitical reforms, strengthening democracy, ensuring supremacy of the law and social justice, supporting farmers, small business and private entrepreneurship, improvement of the investment climate, reducing the tax burden, introducing high technologies in production and improving the people’s well being.

Islam Karimov made a speech at the meeting. He said Tashkent occupied a special place in the economy of the country with its high economic and social potential. Announcement of Tashkent the capital of the Islamic culture in 2007 by the ISESCO was an important event in the life of the Uzbek capital.

Tashkent is not only a center of science and culture, but also a large industrial city. It accounts for some 30% of the national product produced in Uzbekistan. About 1,500 joint ventures and firms function in the capital.

The participants of the meeting said the measures implemented to ensure social and economic stability, development of economy and strengthening Uzbekistan’s independence were directly linked with the name of Islam Karimov.

They emphasized that supporting the candidature of Islam Karimov was a reliable guarantee of the continuation of the wide-scale reforms and increasing the people’s prosperity.