Результаты конференции 19-sentabr | Page 5

I am convinced that the participation of such representative delegations in the round table contributes to improvement of the fruitfulness of the work and our joint efforts at this event will give a significant impetus to the development of Uzbek-German relations. Dear participants of the round table, It is gratifying to note that this event is being held at a time when Uzbekistan, headed by the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, is going through a historical stage of fundamental renewal and it is observed in all spheres of government, public life and international activities of our country. Consistent work is aimed at achieving one goal - Uzbekistan must become competitive on the world stage in the field of economy, science, intellectual potential, personnel, and high technologies. As you know, over the past two years, the government have made significant efforts to ensure the transparency of public administration and their accountability to the public. The political activeness of the population, non-governmental organizations is growing, and the media is obtaining such features as independence, openness, pluralism of opinions. Estimates and forecasts of foreign experts show that the new course towards genuine political and economic modernization contributes to building a democratic state based on the rule of law, developing a strong civil society and market relations. Thus, according to the World Economic Forum, in the ranking of countries with rapidly developing economies, Uzbekistan took the 5th place. As the results of the study by Columbian University (USA) with the assistance of the UN - “World Happiness Index”, Uzbekistan is ranked, 44th among 158 countries and 1st place among the CIS countries. I would like to especially emphasize that the open and constructive foreign policy of Uzbekistan has created an absolutely new, strategically important situation in Central Asia, which is characterized by fundamental changes in establishment of constructive and mutually beneficial relations between the countries of the region, taking into account their mutual interests. Our goal is to turn the region into a zone of stability and sustainable development, as well as to create an atmosphere of trust and good neighborliness. Ladies and gentlemen, In current absolutely new conditions of close and trustful regional cooperation in Central Asia, the activation the role of Germany is very important, which is considered as one of the leading international actors. Germany can support the development of positive trends in the region and integration of Central Asia into the global political and economic system. Uzbekistan considers Germany as one of its key partners in the international area and attaches great importance to development of multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral formats. In turn, Germany attaches particular importance to Uzbekistan, which is regarded as the “cultural, civilizational and political hub of the region”. Uzbekistan, which is a key country in Central Asia, pursues an independent and balanced foreign policy, aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the region, has rich natural resources, high intellectual potential, a dynamically developing economy and transit-communication capabilities. 5