Speaking at a festive ceremony to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the country’s constitution in Tashkent on 7 December, broadcast by Uzbek TV the same day, Islаm Karimov said: "Dear participants in the event celebrating the 15th anniversary of our constitution today, I think that it would be appropriate to speak about holding the Uzbek presidential election, which is a test for us, at the highest level. First and foremost, all of us know well that our constitution clearly specifies holding elections, in particular presidential election, in a democratic way that meets modern requirements. Speaking about this, today we should stress that the law on presidential election, which is enshrined in our constitution, has been worked out on the basis of international standards and taking into account the international experience".

He went on to urge the public not to allow interference in the election process from outside. "Our today’s most topical task is to hold the presidential election in strict compliance with our constitution and international norms and to demonstrate our people’s legal literacy level. Speaking about this, I believe that we should focus on the following issues: above all, to ensure the supremacy of laws and freedoms in every phase of the election and the creation of equal opportunities for all the candidates. We should completely refuse certain procedures and standards inherited from the Soviet-era that we still come across. At the same time, we should hold the election in full compliance with the current laws. We should also attach special attention to preventing exerting influence on the process by various state-administrative institutions, and on the whole, preventing interference from outside," the head of state said.

He also urged to create all the right conditions for international observers. "According to current information, the number of observes coming from abroad and international reputable organizations, specifically from the OSCE, is about 300 people. A total of 23,300 people will monitor the election. They include representatives from Europe, Asia, the USA and Muslim and Arab states," Islаm Karimov said.

In his speech, the president said Uzbekistan was in favour of continuing cooperation with the USA and Europe. "Seizing the opportunity, I would like to draw your attention to a topical issue of today. It is nobody’s secret that now it is not difficult to feel or notice that there are some people who forecast that some kind of misunderstanding will continue between Uzbekistan and European states, to put it simply, those who are in favour of retaining such [present] relations and those who benefit from this. What can we say regarding to these kinds of situations? Uzbekistan - in its foreign policy regarding relations with nearby and far neighbours, including the USA and Europe - is always in favour of maintaining relations based on mutually beneficial cooperation and mutual trust. We will never ever divert from this path," the president said.