President of Uzbekistan: The time has come for diplomats of a new formation – those who achieve concrete results and firmly defend Uzbekistan’s interests on the international stage.

On January 15, under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a video-conference meeting was held on the activities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Uzbekistan’s diplomatic missions abroad, reports the IA “Dunyo” correspondent.

According to the press service of the head of state, opening the meeting, the leader of Uzbekistan noted that the session is taking place amid sharp geopolitical changes in the world and increasing threats to state sovereignty. In this regard, he emphasized the need to critically assess current foreign policy activities and move to an updated format for organizing the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and overseas diplomatic missions.

The President noted that 2025 was, on the whole, a productive year for the country’s foreign policy. During the year, high-level visits were conducted to 26 foreign states, and for the first time in modern history, leaders of several countries visited Uzbekistan. Multilateral dialogues in the “Central Asia Plus” format proved productive. Over recent years, strategic partnerships have been established with 11 states, bringing the total number to 19, and allied relations have been built with Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan.

“As a result of open, pragmatic, well-thought-out, and proactive foreign policy, Uzbekistan is steadily strengthening its position as one of the global centers of peace and diplomacy,” emphasized the President.

Since 2017, 16 new diplomatic missions and consulates have been opened abroad, bringing the total number to 60, while Uzbekistan now maintains diplomatic relations with 165 countries. An increase in staff numbers and salaries of embassy and consulate personnel, representatives to international organizations, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs employees was also noted.

At the same time, a key issue was raised regarding whether all diplomatic missions are fully utilizing the opportunities available to them.

“Today, an ambassador is not just a representative conducting political dialogue. An ambassador is a state representative who attracts investments and technologies, opens new export markets, launches transport and logistics corridors, increases tourist flows, creates conditions for legal labor migration, and, most importantly, protects the rights of our citizens,” the President emphasized.

In this context, it was noted that key performance indicators for ambassadors should include the volume of export revenues from host countries, the growth of tourist flows, and the effectiveness of organizing legal labor migration.

Special attention was paid to increasing export and investment volumes through strengthened economic diplomacy.

In 2025, agreements on investment projects and trade contracts worth a total of 160 billion USD were signed during bilateral and multilateral events. For the first time in history, foreign trade turnover exceeded 80 billion USD, exports reached 33.5 billion USD, and foreign investment volume exceeded 43 billion USD. Export deliveries to 75 countries increased by nearly 4.5 billion USD.

Ambassadors were tasked with expanding export deliveries to countries in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as implementing specific projects in industry, agriculture, chemical and textile sectors, greenhouse farming, and services. It was noted that Uzbek products remain insufficiently recognized in certain markets.

Rising logistics costs were noted as negatively affecting the competitiveness of national products. In this regard, the diversification of transit routes, optimization of logistics chains, and proposals to reduce transport costs when entering European markets were emphasized.

In agriculture, tasks were set for studying and implementing water-saving technologies, modern agrotechnologies, and innovative greenhouse solutions. Measures to expand export markets for chemical industry products, align domestic producers with international standards, and organize industry-specific exhibitions and presentations were also outlined.

The need to intensify trade and economic cooperation with Africa as a promising new export direction was highlighted. A clear “roadmap” involving relevant ministries and overseas diplomatic missions was tasked to be developed.

Ambassadors were expected to be directly engaged in identifying promising projects, attracting them, and ensuring their practical implementation. A system of material incentives for ambassadors completing concrete investment or export projects was also introduced.

The insufficient utilization of potential in some areas was criticized. In particular, opportunities to attract international grants are not fully exploited. It was noted that with closer and systematic coordination among ministries, sector leaders, and ambassadors, an additional 200–300 million USD in grant funding could have been attracted last year.

International organizations and donor countries announce grant programs totaling around 200 billion USD annually. In this regard, a unified, systematic, and result-oriented approach to grants was mandated.

Additionally, it was emphasized that concrete measures should be taken together with ambassadors in the USA, UK, Germany, Switzerland, China, Japan, and Singapore to attract leading universities from the global top 100 as partners of Uzbek higher education institutions.

It was noted that interaction between regions and diplomatic missions in expanding foreign economic ties remains insufficient. The active involvement of regional governors (hokims) together with ambassadors in systematically promoting regionally produced export-oriented products and facilitating local enterprises’ entry into foreign markets was stressed.

Ensuring legal and well-paid jobs abroad for Uzbek citizens was identified as another priority. The geography of organized labor migration was expanding, but in some countries work in this direction remains insufficiently effective, and appropriate instructions were given.

Embassies and consulates must actively protect the rights and legal interests of citizens, providing qualified legal assistance in each case. The task was set to abandon “office diplomacy,” strengthen fieldwork, and establish direct dialogue with compatriots.

In tourism, the further strengthening of ambassadors’ roles, the introduction of new approaches to promoting the country’s tourist and cultural potential, effective use of visa-free regimes, and engagement of international outsourcing companies were highlighted.

The expansion of foreign policy relations, careful preparation of high-level visits, retraining of diplomatic personnel, and formation of a pool of promising specialists were also discussed.

Activating foreign information policy and enhancing the country’s international image through systematic work with foreign media and special media projects were identified as priority tasks.

The need to update the Concept of Foreign Policy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, review its priority directions, and set clear tasks to protect national interests and strengthen the country’s international position was emphasized.

The President stressed that the new concept should comprehensively reflect long-term strategic goals, the logic of internal reforms, and national interests in economic diplomacy, security, investment, export, transport and logistics, water, and climate issues.

To duly recognize the achievements of diplomats, it was proposed to establish the honorary title of “Honored Diplomat of the Republic of Uzbekistan.”

Concluding the meeting, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized:“The time has come for diplomats of a new formation – those who achieve concrete results and firmly defend Uzbekistan’s interests on the international stage.”

Reports and proposals from the country’s ambassadors abroad were also heard during the meeting.