The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is our close neighbour and the two countries enjoy friendly and brotherly relations based upon deep rooted historical interaction and brotherhood with the great legacy of our common ancestors, said Uzbekistan ambassador Oybek Arif Usmanov on Thursday.
These views were expressed by him while speaking at a seminar organized by the National University of Modern Languages (NUML). The seminar was held to celebrate the 20th Independence anniversary of Uzbekistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Usmanov said many Uzbekistan-based scholars had got profound fame in Islamic world.
“The names of Imam Bukhariy (RA), Imam Termiziy (RA), Imam Motridiy (RA), Bahouddin Nakshband (RA), Muhammad AlKhorzamiy, Akhmad Farghoniy, Abu Raikhon Beruniy and Abu Ali Ibn Sina are some of those scholars,” he said.
He added that the modern Uzbek nation was gaining power and spiritual strength by restoring the heritage of famous historical personalities.
The ambassador said after gaining complete independence from imperial Russia, the Uzbek nation had to confront many problems such as a weak economy, low industrial and food production, an underdeveloped infrastructure and many other impediments to the country’s independence and sovereign functioning.
“The self-reliant policy of the Uzbek government helped us attain food, energy, power and industrial independence.”
“Despite the serious impact of the global financial and economic crisis, Uzbekistan is among the few states in the world that maintains a stable high economic growth-rate, which went up to nine in 2008-2009. Moreover, Uzbekistan is one of the eight countries of the world that is producing aircraft and different brands of automobiles, and has a growing textile sector,” he said.
Talking about regional security and the current Afghan situation, he said being in Central Asia, Uzbekistan was greatly affected by the changing regional political scenario.
He added that Uzbekistan had followed a clear-cut foreign policy and for the last two years the Uzbek nation had not demanded a single penny from America.
After the lecture, the Embassy of Uzbekistan screened a short documentary film which was titled “Mushafe Usman”. Prior to this, Director General Brig Azam Jamal in his welcome address felicitated the Uzbek ambassador and nation on their 20th Independence anniversary, and threw light on the common historical, cultural and social background of the two countries.
NUML Rector Maj Gen (r) Masood Hasan presented an honorary token to the Uzbek ambassador, while he presented gifts to the rector, DG and IR department head of NUML.
