About the Committee for Inter-ethnic and Friendly Relations with Foreign Countries under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The changes in the Republic within all living environments required further development of a culture of tolerance, interethnic concord and interreligious understanding, equal rights and opportunities for all citizens, the higher level of friendly, cultural and educational relations with foreign countries. Decree No. UP 5046 dated May 19, 2017 provided the establishment of the Committee for Inter-Ethnic and Friendly Relations with Foreign Countries under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic Of Uzbekistan (the Committee).

Committee's Priority Areas

• assistance in interethnic concord and tolerance in society, strengthening the friendship and feelings of a single large multinational family;

• effective coordination of efforts to establish friendly international relations, development of effective cooperation, strengthening friendship with the civil society of foreign countries, including our compatriots living abroad;

• interconnection and cooperation of state authorities with national cultural centers and friendship associations located in the Republic;

• assistance in preservation and development of original national traditions, customs and rites of representatives of various nations and nationalities living in our country;

• assistance in a wide foreign promotion of a peaceful policy of our state, goals and objectives of Uzbekistan in building a democratic legal state, a strong civil society, as well as the successes achieved today in all areas of the country's life;

• assistance in organization and direct participation in research work aimed at further development and harmonization of interethnic and friendly relations with foreign countries.

The Committee’s Cooperation with Foreign Countries

Currently, 34 Friendship Associations (FA) ofthe following foreign countries operate under the Committee:

Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Vietnam, Germany, Greece, Georgia, Egypt, Israel, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, USA, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Ukraine, France, Switzerland, Japan.

The Committee keeps contact with the partners

in 18 countries all over the world, including “Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan” FA, "Federation for Friendship with the Peoples of Russia and CIS" (Bulgaria), the British-Uzbek Society (Great Britain), “Vietnam-Uzbekistan” FA, “Bonn-Uzbekistan” FA (Germany), “Greece-Uzbekistan” FA, “Egypt-Uzbekistan” FA, Indian-Uzbek Friendship and Economic Forum, “Union of Italian Provinces (UPI)”, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, All-China Friendship Promotion Association (China), Korean-Uzbek Association, "Poland-Uzbekistan" FA, “Pakistan-Uzbekistan” FA, “Avicenna” (France), “Czech Republic-Uzbekistan” FA, “Fukushima-Uzbekistan” (Japan), etc.

Relations with Compatriots

To date, there are contacts with organizations of Uzbek emigration and abroad diaspora located in 19 countries: “Cultural Society of Turkestan Compatriots in Germany”, “Uzbek Cultural Center” - Israel, “Uzbek Cultural Center” - Kazakhstan, “Uzbek Cultural Association" - Kazakhstan, “Cultural Union of Canadian Uzbeks”, “Center for the Study of the Uzbek Language and Culture” - China , "Osh" Uzbek Association - Kyrgyzstan, Uzbek Center of Compatriots “Umid”- Russia, Turkestan-American Association and Congress of Bukharian Jews of the USA & Canada - USA, "Uzbek Center of Spirituality and Enlightenment” - Tajikistan, "Center for Cultural and Social Assistance to the Turkestani” - Turkey, “AFOR” French-Uzbek Association, “Uzbek Cultural Center “Safar”- Estonia, etc.

The Committee supported by emigrant and diaspora organizations holds conferences, seminars, round tables, exhibitions, quizzes, concerts, days of Uzbek culture and other events aimed at promotion of Uzbek culture, Uzbek language, original national traditions, customs and rites of the Uzbek people to maintain good neighborly equal, friendly relations.

National Cultural Centers of Uzbekistan

The Committee includes 138 national cultural centers (NCC). Among them, 14 have the status of Republican NCC, such as the Republican Azerbaijan NCC, the Armenian NCC of Uzbekistan, the Jewish NCC of Uzbekistan, the Kazakh NCC of Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz Cultural Center of Uzbekistan, the Association of Korean Cultural Centers of Uzbekistan, the Cultural Center of Germans in Uzbekistan “Wiedergeburt”, the Polish Cultural Center of Uzbekistan “Svetlitsa Polska”, the Russian Cultural Center of Uzbekistan, the Republican Tajik NCC, the Turkish NCC of Uzbekistan, the Republican Turkmen Cultural Center, the Uyghur Cultural Center of Uzbekistan, the Republican Ukrainian Cultural Center "Slavutich".

There are also 6 NCCs in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, 23 in Tashkent and 95 in regions: Arabic, Bashkir, Belorussian, Bulgarian, Bukharian Jews, Greek, Georgian, Dungan, Chinese, Crimean Tatar, Lithuanian, Tatar.

NCCs have the following goals: stimulation, coordination and promotion of public initiatives aimed at the adoption of interethnic concord, development of inter-ethnic relations; preservation and development of traditions of spirituality, language, culture of all nations and nationalities residing in Uzbekistan; creation of conditions to strengthen a connection with the ethnic Motherland within humanitarian, scientific, cultural cooperation.

Committee’s Structure

The Committee is managed by the Chairman and two Deputy Chairmen:

• on inter-ethnic relations and cultural education (supervises the Department for the Coordination of the National Cultural Centers, the Department for Spirituality and Enlightenment);

• on foreign relations and work with compatriots (supervises the Department for Communication with the European and American countries, Department for Communication with CIS countries, Department for Communication with Asian, African and Latin American countries).

The Committee established a Public Council, which will assist in the development and strengthening of inter-ethnic relations, coordination and close interaction with cultural centers, friendship associations, artistic unions, state and non-governmental organizations, as well as other public organizations.

The Committee includes a Department for applied scientific research, methods and expertize.

Coordination of work on inter-ethnic and friendly relations with foreign countries in situ is assigned to the Deputy Chairmen of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, regional Khokims (Mayors) and Tashkent Khokim for relations with public and religious organizations.

100100, Tashkent, Uzbekistan,

45, Bobur str., Yakkasaray district.

Fax: +998712535769

Phone: +998712535769, 2535768, 2536014

E-mail: info@icc.uz