On the Address by President H.E. Mr. Islam Karimov at the joint meeting of Oliy Majlis (parliament), Cabinet of Ministers, and Staff of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dedicated to the 16th anniversary of the Independence of Uzbekistan

September 19, 2007

On 20th of August 2007, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan I.A.Karimov spoke in the joint session of Oliy Majlis, the Cabinet of Ministers and the Apparatus of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan devoted 16-th anniversary of Uzbekistan's Independence.

In the report it is marked, that the essence, the maintenance and the importance of the passed road of independent development of the republic can be divided into two independent periods, each of which undoubtedly has its own, peculiar place in history of our country.

The first stage, from 1991 to 2000 years, is a stage of prime reforms and transformations of a transient period and formation of bases of national statehood.

Not less important role played the following stage, from 2001 to 2007, in providing steady development of economy, consecutive reformation of political, legislative, judicial-legal systems and socially-humanitarian spheres which is the period of active democratic renewal and modernization of the country.

Completely justified five principles have been put in a basis of construction of the new state and a society: the first – deidealization of economy and its priority above a politics. In other words, first economy, and then policy; the second - the state at a transient stage from old system to new one should become the main reformer, which means to take the functions of the initiator of reforms in the field of the state, public and economic renewal of the country; the third - leadership of law or equality of all citizens in front of the law; the fourth - realization of strong social policy, the responsibility of the state on support of socially vulnerable layers and groups of the population; the fifth –stage-by-stage approach in carrying out and realization of reforms, refusal of various models of a shock therapy. In the other words, development of the country should go on an evolutionary way of development, instead of on revolutionary that, as the history of mankind testifies, always brought to people violence, blood and deprivations.

Corner stone of realization of program tasks on reforming and renewal of the country was deep study and acceptance of the justified world experience of construction of successfully and steadily developing modern democratic states while preserving and further strengthening our national values, customs and traditions, the respectful attitude to the developed mentality of people.

Strategy of political, economic development, the state and public construction were determined, proceeding from historically developed national and cultural features of our people and a sober estimation of natural-economic, mineral-raw and human potential of the country as well as the worthy place which we can and should have in the system of peace-holding communications.

In the first years, the bases of unfamiliar for us market economy were set up, the mechanism of market economic relations with creation of institutes of a market infrastructure and formation of the competitive environment was started. The private property has been revived and has received the priority development in the country. It is provided with reliable constitutional guarantees.

In the social plan at the initial, the most difficult transient stage of the general economic and social reforms the effective mechanism of carrying out strong social policy and social security that did not have analogues has been developed and successfully realized.

As a result we not only could achieve political stability in the country, but also receive broad support from the population of in the course of conducting reforms and renewal of the country.

In the solution of tasks on construction of the new state essentially great value had a professional training of the new formation, brought up on both national and universal values and capable to realize in practice uneasy and major tasks on modernization of the country and construction of a modern democratic society.

Crucial importance in the achievement of the defined aims, provision of stability and realization of large-scale reforms on the renewal of the country played a huge purposeful work on strengthening the interethnic and interreligious tolerance and the consent in the country, on consolidating of a role of spiritual and moral education, on returning to the own roots, on increasing of political consciousness and legal culture of the population started from the first day of the Independence.
Thus, results of the reforms and renewal of the country for the period 1991-2000 have set up the strong base of national statehood and steady development of the country.

On this strong enough base is being built up the following natural stage of development which can be characterized as the period of active reformation and modernization of the country.

The most important program tasks of this stage is the further democratization and liberalization of all sides of a political and economic life as well as of the state and public construction, strengthening of independent judicial system, protection of the rights and freedom of the person, increasing of political, economic activity of citizens, formation of bases of a civil society.

The basic key task of this period of reformation of our state system should become consecutive and stage-by-stage transition from the strong state, which was objectively necessary in conditions of a transient period and formation of national statehood, to a strong civil society.

As the natural result of fulfilled large-scale and cardinal reforms and transformations, rates of growth of a national economy have received steady character for last years. The proof of it is the rates of annual growth that for the last four years exceeds 7 percent. The gross national product of Uzbekistan has grown in 1,3 times with respect to 1990 while in many CIS countries it up to now has not reached a pre-reform level.

However the steady economic growth in Uzbekistan is reached not due to extensive growth and impetuous extraction of hydrocarbons in the conditions of the high world prices for oil and gas as it takes place in a number of the countries but due to purposeful carrying out of market reforms, deep structural transformations of economy, upgrading and modernization of branches and the enterprises, creation new competitive export-oriented manufactures, development of small and private business.

Key direction of deepening reforms is the further liberalization of economy, increasing of the freedom and economic independence of organizations, formation of expanded market infrastructure, cardinal reduction of the control and controlling functions of the state, restriction to the intervention in economic activities of the enterprises, elimination of barriers to the development of enterprise activity.

Uzbekistan as well as other states aspires to take a worthy place in the world community, providing the peace and well-being of its population, and should have the precise, clear, deeply realized strategy and the program of the actions which meet the requirements and respond to the challenges of the rapidly changing modern world.

This strategy should provide the further consecutive continuation and deepening of the course that has justified democratic, political and economic reforms, social transformations, consolidation of the peace and the consent in a society, fulfillment of peaceful foreign policy and integration in the global economic relations. Only such policy can create necessary conditions and the strong base to achievement of defined long-term objective - to be one of the developed countries of the world.