On the occasion of the 16th anniversary of independence of Uzbekistan, People’s Daily Online reporter conducted an interview with Nosirjon Yusupov, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the PRC on Uzbekistan’s reforms and China-Uzbekistan relations.

Reporter: Mr. ambassador, Uzbekistan will see its 16th Independence Day on Sept 1. Could you introduce to our readers the direction and characteristics of Uzbekistan’s reforms?

Nosirjon Yusupov: Having chosen the way of evolutional political, social and economic development Uzbekistan has achieved important results in the reforms during the past sixteen years. The goal of political reforms is a formation of democratic state based on rules of law and strong civil society in Uzbekistan.

Along the way of political reforms there were recently adopted new laws aiming further democratization of the political system of the country. Undoubtedly, they will allow strengthen role of political parties and their activity in liberalization of the state governance.

The basic goal of economic reforms in Uzbekistan is formation of a stable social-oriented market economy, which would provide worthy level of life for the people. One of the strategic tasks in this process is further diversification of the economy potential of the country. In trends of globalization, when a number of states are becoming dependent on energy resource export, Uzbekistan is striving for overall development of industrial capabilities. Due to this, in the first half of 2007 around 70% of Uzbek export contained ready products.

The important part of modernization of Uzbekistan’s economy is step-by-step privatization. In 2006 there were privatized around 300 state enterprises in different spheres, including energy sector, textile and so on. In 2007 there was adopted the program for the forthcoming three years on deepening privatization process and active attraction of foreign investments to Uzbekistan. According to this program, by 2010 it is planned to privatize another 994 state enterprises.

One of the bright examples, showing the dynamics and the scale of social reforms, is modernization of education system of Uzbekistan, which is being realized within the National program of preparation and training of personnel. In the epoch of globalization and information technologies it is impossible to solve vital tasks of stable development without highly qualified specialists.

Generally speaking, the results, which were achieved by Uzbekistan during its independent development, prove the progressive character of the reforms. This allows go on democratic building and deepening market reforms.

The other significant event in Uzbekistan’s life this year has become the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization announcement of Tashkent as the capital of the Islamic culture of 2007. It is well-known that for many centuries Uzbekistan was not only the center of Islamic culture, but the enlightenment center for the whole Muslim world. The President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov noted that rising interest in the world to the Islamic religion is determined by its honesty and pureness, humanism and tolerance, by its appeals to the kindness and mercy. These values have been playing great role in Uzbekistan, where more than one hundred ethnic groups of 17 confessions live. Peaceful coexistence of different ethnics and cultures during many centuries determined confessional tolerance of the Uzbek people. Due to this factor there was no any religious or ethnic conflict in Uzbekistan for the years of its independent development.

But, unfortunately, high ideals and values of Islam have being discredited by extremist and terrorist organizations, which use the religion as an ideological tool to realize their destructive goals. In this conditions in some Western countries there are being formed stereotypes, identifying the Islamic religion with terrorism that leads to dangerous contraposition of civilizations.

In this regard it would not be an exaggeration to note that active work in Uzbekistan on revival of the cultural heritage of the country, as the integral part of the Islamic and the world civilization, has not only national, but also international significance. Undoubtedly, it promotes not only to preservation of truth Islamic values, but also to their deeper understanding by the international community.

Reporter: How do you comment on the current situation of China-Uzbekistan cooperation and its future?

Nosirjon Yusupov: For the last 16 years bilateral relations between Uzbekistan and China have obtained the character of active mutually beneficial cooperation almost in all spheres. Mutual confidence and respect between the leaders of our countries have played a crucial role in traditionally friendly Uzbek-Chinese relations that has been proved by the recent Bishkek meeting of the Presidents Islam Karimov and Hu Jintao.

Multilateral cooperation in frame of the Shanghai cooperation organization is another strong factor of strengthening of the bilateral relations. The outcomes of Bishkek summit of the SCO in August 2007 have reconfirmed striving of Uzbekistan and China to further deepening of the overall cooperation. The present level of the Uzbek-Chinese cooperation allows us to optimize energies for further deepening of the bilateral relations, particularly in economic sphere. For instance, participation of Chinese investors in the privatization program in Uzbekistan will enlarge and intensify mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

While the bilateral relations have actively developing there is a rise of interest of the Uzbek society in China, in its history, rich centuries-long cultural heritage, in achievements of the Chinese people in spheres of science and technologies. This is proved by year-by-year increase of number those among the Uzbek youth, who want to learn the Chinese language. Development of cultural and humanitarian ties between Uzbekistan and China has special significance from the point of revival of historical links along the Great Silk road as well for enlargement of the modern bilateral cooperation. In this regard the Institute of Confucius in Tashkent and department of the Uzbek language in the Central University of Nationalities play important role.

Uzbekistan and China, as two countries on the Great Silk road, have great tourist potential. With the special satisfaction I would like to note, that during my mission in China I have visited many Chinese cities and provinces, I have seen and felt on my own the richness and diversity of the ancient Chinese culture. Together with this we have closely been observing year-by-year increase of Chinese tourists visiting different countries of the world. Uzbekistan, having more than three thousand of unique historical and cultural monuments and ancient architectural masterpieces, should become one of attractive countries for Chinese tourists.

In the conclusion I would like to stress that during the last years the Uzbek-Chinese relations have been transformed into new form of cooperation, based on mutual confidence, respect and good neighborhood. During these years solid legal base and mechanisms of bilateral and multilateral cooperation have been created. This let us speak with optimism about the future of the relations of friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the People’s Republic of China.

By People’s Daily Online