Photo: yuz.uz
Uzbekistan will create a State Committee on Interethnic Relations and Compatriots Abroad, according to a March 21 presidential decree by Shavkat Mirziyoyev, published on the Lex.uz portal.
The new body will be established on the basis of the existing Committee on Interethnic Relations and Friendly Ties with Foreign Countries under the Ministry of Culture.
The committee will be an authorized executive body responsible for implementing state policy in interethnic relations and diaspora affairs. It will report directly to the president and the government, with its chairperson appointed and dismissed by the head of state.
The decree outlines key priorities for the new committee, including:
👉 Harmonizing interethnic relations by fostering friendship, solidarity, and tolerance to build a unified national identity;
👉 Strengthening the integration of Uzbekistan’s diverse ethnic groups into national development while ensuring their rights and interests;
👉 Preserving the cultural identity of Uzbek communities abroad and mobilizing their social and economic potential for Uzbekistan’s development;
👉 Enhancing Uzbekistan’s image internationally through people-to-people diplomacy and strengthening cultural ties with other nations.
The decree also lays out measures to implement these policies:
🔹 Annual forums under the slogan «Uzbekistan—One Homeland!» will highlight the contributions of Uzbekistan’s ethnic communities to building the New Uzbekistan. Events such as eco-initiatives under the motto «Our Strength Is in Unity» will also be held.
🔹 Engagement with Uzbek expatriates will be intensified. Using UN-backed programs, the government plans to leverage human capital for social, economic, and environmental innovation in Uzbekistan. Officials have been tasked with encouraging expatriates to contribute to national development—whether through direct investments, philanthropy, or tourism.
🔹 A new global forum, Uz Global Think, will be held annually to bring together Uzbek experts abroad. Discussions will focus on entrepreneurship, environmental sustainability, and education.
🔹 By September 1, 2025, a new policy document will be developed to turn sister-city partnerships and friendship societies into a «cultural bridge» between Uzbekistan and foreign nations.
