Uzbekistan, 25th anniversary | Page 19

Interview of Ambassador Peter Burian, European Union Special Representative for Central Asia Uzbekistan is famous not only for its historical heritage and well-known names of scientists and thinkers, its rich history, customs and traditions but also by the progress, achieved after gaining independence. The sovereignty of the Republic has opened great opportunities for further development of the enormous potential of your country in many areas. If you look at the path of the 25 years of independent development, we can see a significant progress achieved in Uzbekistan. During the years of independence your country achieved dynamic development in many areas due to the conducted reforms. On the eve of the 25th Anniversary of the State Independence of Uzbekistan the officials of the European Union are sending congratulations and share their comments about the achievements of the Republic of Uzbekistan during the years of independence. EU Special Representative for Central Asia, Ambassador Peter Burian gave an interview to the News Agency «Jahon». «I think your people should be proud of its great ancestors who made their invaluable contribution to world civilization, particularly in the field of medicine, science, art and others. In 25 years, which is historically a short period of time, Uzbekistan has not only stabilized its economy, but also gained an important place on the global and regional stage. I’m sure that now, based on this solid progress, you can coordinate your next steps and development. I read with great interest the report of the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov on results of socio-economic development of Uzbekistan in 2015 and the major priorities for 2016. I would like to emphasize that the planned reforms and the subsequent steps are promising not only for the development of your country, but also in creating additional opportunities for deepening bilateral cooperation between Uzbekistan and the European Union. 19