Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 30 March 2023, a meeting was held at the Central Election Commission with the leadership of the representative office of the International Organization for Migration in Uzbekistan. During the meeting, issues of bilateral cooperation were discussed, the CEC press service reports.

In particular, issues of further ensuring the electoral rights of citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan living or staying in foreign countries for work, study, treatment and other reasons were considered.

In particular, at the meeting it was noted that during the period of elections and a referendum, precinct commissions are formed at diplomatic missions and consular offices in the Republic of Uzbekistan, large-scale work is being organized to raise the awareness of our compatriots abroad about the elections and the referendum, to include them in the list of voters and familiarize them with the list, to notify them of the place and time of voting, and others.

Chairman of the Central Election Commission Z. Nizamkhojaev stressed that strengthening cooperation with the International Organization for Migration in the elections and referendum process is of great importance for expanding the participation of citizens of Uzbekistan abroad in elections and referendums, ensuring their electoral rights, as well as fully implementing the above measures.

At the meeting, the IOM Subregional Coordinator for Central Asia, Head of Mission to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Zeynal Hajiyev expressed his commitment to ensuring readiness for partnerships with the Central Election Commission and providing practical assistance.

Highly appreciating the desire of the Central Election Commission to cooperate with the IOM office in Uzbekistan, Zeynal Hajiyev noted that this is of great importance in ensuring the electoral rights of migrants, the wide involvement of citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan living abroad in democratic processes, including in governance society and the state.

Zeynal Hajiyev also gave detailed information on the main activities of the IOM.

It should be noted that in 2019 Uzbekistan became a full member of the IOM, which served to intensify cooperation between our republic and this organization. This interaction is growing steadily.

In 2020, a cooperation agreement was signed between Uzbekistan and IOM. In 2021, a full-fledged representative office of the organization in Tashkent began its activities.