Dear soldiers and sergeants, officers and generals, veterans of the Armed Forces, esteemed compatriots!
It gives me an enormous pleasure to congratulate you from the bottom of my heart on the most important landmark event in the life of our country – the Day of Defenders of Homeland and the 22nd anniversary of establishment of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
For over the last years the systematic and step-by-step work both deep on its essence and significant on its scale has been accomplished in Uzbekistan in terms of creating the mobile national army well-equipped with cutting-edge armament and techniques that meets the highest requirements and standards capable to effectively and reliably ensure the security and territorial integrity of the country, protect the peaceful and tranquil life of our people.
A special attention was paid to radically revise the organizational and staff structure, as well as taking into account the nature of possible theater of war operations establish the modern and effective system of operational strategic control of the Armed Forces, improve the interaction of branches of troops and equip them with the latest techniques and armament, change the essence of combat and educational training, and significantly enhance the social support of servicemen.
Taking into consideration the rapidly changing and ambiguous military-political situation and possible complication of the state of affairs in the region, the combat capabilities, firepower, mobility and manageability of units and subdivisions of the Armed Forces have tangibly increased.
Along with this, the growing radicalism, conflicts and confrontations taking place in the modern world and our closest vicinity, ongoing war in Afghanistan and uncertainty in its resolution, stirring up of terrorism and religious extremism, expanding scales of aggressive drug trafficking, increasing threats in our immediate proximity to our borders – all of this cannot but raise in us a deep feeling of concern and alarm.
The forthcoming drawdown of the ISAF peacemaking troops from Afghanistan which may lead to yet greater tensions in our southern borders and adjacent territories may prove a serious trial for all of the countries of the Central Asian region.
These complex and unpredictable processes today require all of us to maintain high vigilance and constant readiness to undertake preemptive decisive actions in terms of averting the attempts to provoke tension on our borders and ensuring the capability of the Armed Forces to give a timely and adequate repulse to any aggressive actions aimed against our country.
In this context, given the unfolding rather complex situation I deem it necessary to continue further reforming and strengthening the defense power of our army, its combat potential and readiness to protect the sovereignty of the country, secure borders and peaceful life of its citizens.
The main task of the Armed Forces, Ministry of Defense, General Staff and staffs of military districts shall be to carry out the in-depth, purposeful and systemic analysis, and predict the rapidly changing situation on adjacent territories and the region as a whole, timely locate the probable risks in terms of possible stirring up of activities of the terrorist and extremist forces capable to gravely complicate the situation on our borders.
On this basis it is important to continue improving the system of shaping defenses of our country taking into account the peculiarities of each operational direction while paying a special attention to implementing the efficient measures to ensure constant readiness of subdivisions of military districts and frontier troops to engage in well-coordinated joint combat operations in terms of preempting emerging security threats to the country, and firstly, in the frontier areas. In these circumstances a decisive role must be accorded to comprehensive interchangeability and high level of interaction of subdivisions involved in protecting and safeguarding the State border, as well as their joint combat training.
It is extremely important to undertake a critical assessment by the command of the Armed Forces and military districts of the current system of educational and combat training of troops which must adequately meet the real unfolding military and political situation in the region in the nearest and midterm perspective.
A special attention must be paid to practicing various models and versions of interoperability of the frontier troops and the units of Ministry of Defense, assault-helicopter and special subdivisions, as well as other types of troops engaged in joint actions with detailed examination of the best practices of foreign countries.
The main task must remain full and timely implementation of adopted plans and programs on equipping the units and subdivisions with modern types of armament and military hardware which allow to significantly enhance their combat capabilities.
It is necessary to intensify the efforts on developing the local production and repair basis to maintain combat readiness, as well as establishing joint ventures on manufacturing the new and modernizing the available types of armament and military hardware.
We need to further enhance the comprehensive training of combat platoons and groups taking into account the growing requirements to commanders of these subdivisions and professional training of the entire personnel.
In training platoons and groups a serious attention must be paid to imparting to command staff of firm skills on comprehensively assessing and analyzing the situation, making non-standard decisions and skillfully managing subdivisions in accomplishing independent combat tasks, mastering by personnel of related professions, new military hardware and armament to ensure the interchangeability of specialists and high congruence of subdivisions.
In this context, it is crucially important to effectively train the well-erudite, modern thinking and intellectually developed military cadres with high professional, spiritual and moral qualities capable to effectively carry out the set tasks in the modern conditions of fast combat.
It is important to continue and deepen our work to enhance training of the sergeant corps.
We need to implement a set of measures to further develop the sole multilevel system of training junior commanders which envisages comprehensive renewal of the activity of sergeant schools in line with new modern requirements. The professionally trained sergeant corps must actually turn into a pillar and pivot of our army on whom mostly depends the moral and psychological climate in each military unit.
The unremitting attention must be paid to addressing the issues of social protection of servicemen and their family members, full implementation of adopted state programs on providing them with comfortable housing, modern living conditions and quality medical servicing envisaging further increase of budget funds for these purposes.
Dear friends!
Today there is no need to underline the significance of the pre-conscription training of future soldiers and officers of our army, as well as their conscious choice of the future hard profession.
In this regard, it is very important to intensify the work on holding the military patriotic events, improve erudition, knowledge of our history and tenacity of the future soldiers at educational institutions, workplaces and makhallas (neighborhood communities). The broad layers of population, including servicemen and veterans of the Armed Forces, must be involved in those events.
It is also significant to actively use the capabilities of mass media and national segment of the Internet to inform citizens about military service, military cadres training and large-scale reforms in the army. Meanwhile, we should avoid formalism and superficial approach. And we should also nurture among our youth the deep feelings of love to Homeland, pride for its Armed Forces and respect to military service.
The Public council at the Ministry of Defense, representatives of public, culture, arts and sports must play a special role in implementing these vital and long-term tasks.
Dear compatriots!
On this special and landmark day for all of us – the 22nd anniversary of establishment of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan, I once again cordially congratulate all of you and the entire people of Uzbekistan on the Day of Defenders of Homeland.
Taking this opportunity, I express a sincere gratitude to all servicemen – the privates and sergeants, officers and generals, and all of those who duly serve in the Armed Forces and selflessly carry out their honorary and responsible soldier’s duty.
I wish you a sound health, big successes, strength and energy for the benefit of serving Homeland, as well as happiness, prosperity and well-being to your families and good luck in the New Year 2014!
Islam Karimov,
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan,
Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the
Armed Forces
