Key points from Shavkat Mirziyoyev's congratulatory speech on the 35th anniversary of the country's independence

Shavkat Mirziyoyev sincerely congratulated the people on the 35th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan and delivered a speech at the solemn ceremony. The following are the main points of the Head of State's speech:

* The roots of our great independence go back to more than three thousand years of statehood traditions and the history of our ancient civilization.

* Independence, first of all, returned to us our glory and honor, our sacred religion, our native language and forgotten national values.

* We pay tribute to the memory of our great ancestors, the Jadids, who sacrificed their lives for today's free life.

* We respectfully commemorate the bright memory of our first President, an outstanding statesman and politician Islam Abduganievich Karimov.

* From the very first days of the reforms, we listened to the hearts of the people and aimed to be a remedy for the suffering of the population.

* We have eliminated problems that have plagued people for years, such as “cotton slavery”, “forced and child labor”, “conversion restrictions”, “propiska”.

* We have been working tirelessly and hard over the past 10 years to build a society where everyone lives freely and comfortably. We have opened Uzbekistan to the world.

* We planned to increase the GDP to $160 billion by 2030. We will more than achieve this goal this year and become one of the countries with an above-average income.

* Today, we have managed to reduce the poverty rate from 35 percent in 2017 to 4 percent. The quality of life of 10 million people has improved.

* More than half of the students in higher education institutions in our country are girls and women. Educated girls mean an educated family, an educated generation, and an enlightened society.

* Along with education, we consider science, modern technology and innovation to be the decisive factors of our development.

* The President said: “My intention is: Uzbekistan should become a center that offers advanced initiatives to the world in the field of technology.”

* The fact that the average life expectancy of the population has increased from 66.4 years in 1991 to 75.4 years in 2025, and the infant and maternal mortality rate has decreased by 4 times is the most important result of our reforms in this area.

* Our country is entering a completely new era of development. The next decade will be a period of national growth for us.

* In the coming years, we will implement 7 national programs that will further enhance human dignity in our country.

* The first national program will be to turn knowledge and skills into the main capital of our future development.

* We will switch to a health care model by strengthening prevention in medicine. State medical insurance will be introduced to all households in the country.

* By 2030, the gross domestic product will reach $300 billion.

* The Fourth National Program will focus on fundamentally changing the attitude towards water and nature.

* We will resolutely continue our reforms to strengthen the legal guarantees of citizens and entrepreneurs.

* The neighborhood will be transformed into the main customer of social development.

* We will continue a multifaceted, restrained and balanced foreign policy to make Uzbekistan an important center of international diplomacy.

* We are stronger today than yesterday. If we are lucky, we will be even stronger tomorrow.

* If the people and the state unite and work hard towards a common goal, there is no goal that cannot be achieved. There is no force that can defeat such a powerful people and state.

* Our resilient, courageous, and noble people will certainly achieve the great goals they have set for themselves.