On October 18, an international conference was held on “Islamic solidarity: on the example of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan” at the National Library of Uzbekistan named after Alisher Navoi.

The conference is organized by the Committee on Religious Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Muslims Board of Uzbekistan, the State Committee on working with religious organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Muslims Board of the Caucasus. 

The event was attended by well-known state and public figures of Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Germany, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, heads of international organizations, scholars-theologians, representatives of the governments and parliaments of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, as well as the diplomatic corps accredited in our country. 

The conference began with the reading of surah from the Quran. 

The message of greetings of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the participants of the international conference was read by the State Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan H.Sultanov. 

The message of greetings of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev was read by the Chairman of the State Committee on working with religious organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan M.Gurbanli. 

There is a profound symbolic meaning that the international conference on Islamic solidarity is taking place in Uzbekistan. In our country, located in the center of the Great Silk Road, representatives of various nations and religions are living in friendship and harmony since ancient times, mutually complementing and enriching each other’s culture. Our great ancestors Imam Bukhari, Imam Maturidi, Imam Termizi, Mahmud Zamakhshari, Burhaniddin Marginani, Muhammad Kaffol Shoshi, Abdulholik Gijduvoni, Bahauddin Naqshband, Khoja Ahror Vali, Muhammad Khorazmi, Ahmad Fargoni, Abu Rayhan Beruni, Abu Ali ibn Sina, Mirzo Ulugbek, Alisher Navoi made a huge contribution to the development of world science and Islamic civilization. 

Our religious values revived in the years of independence. The Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Law “On freedom of conscience and religious organizations” guarantee freedom of conscience and religion. Broad freedom and conditions for the development of religious education and celebrating of religious rites are provided. The Holy Quran and its interpretations, hadiths and other sacred books are published in the Uzbek language in thousands of copies. The burial places of great ancestors are well-arranged, their jubilees are widely celebrated internationally. 

President of our country Shavkat Mirziyoyev pays special attention to honoring the spiritual heritage of our people, the development of an enlightened Islamic religion. A consistent work is carried out on studying and publishing the works of our great ancestors, landscaping the sacred places of worship. 

The mausoleums of Imam Termizi in Surkhandarya, Abu Muin Nasafi in Kashkadarya, the place of worship Nurota in Navoi regions and a number of other shrines have been reconstructed. 

Imam Bukhari International Research Center is organized in Samarkand, in Surkhandarya – Imam Termizi research center. Hadith studies schools are organized in Imam Bukhari scientific center in Samarkand, studying the “ilm al-kalam” at Imam Maturidi center, schools of Islamic law at Marginani scientific center in Fergana, Sufism at the center of Bahauddin Naqshband in Bukhara, dogmatics at the center of Abu Muin Nasafi in Kashkadarya. 

In accordance with the resolution of the President of our country of June 23, 2017, the Center for Islamic Civilization under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan has begun its activities on studying and scientific researching the enormous spiritual heritage of our ancestors, their contribution to the development of world science. 

In the Strategy of actions on five priority areas of development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017-2021, special attention is paid to issues of strengthening security, religious tolerance and interethnic harmony. The work carried out in this direction further strengthens the atmosphere of unity and cohesion, kindness and mercy in our society. 

The President of our country, at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, forwarded the adoption of a special resolution of the General Assembly on “Enlightenment and religious tolerance”. Its main goal is to promote tolerance and mutual respect, ensure religious freedom, protect the rights of believers, and prevent their discrimination. 

A few days ago, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief of the UN Human Rights Council Ahmed Shaheed visited our country. He highly appreciated the reforms that are being implemented in Uzbekistan on development of civil society, ensuring tolerance and freedom of conscience, protecting the rights of believers. 

Our country, along with supporting the traditions of Islam, is also developing cooperation with Islamic states. In particular, relations between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are deeply rooted, based on similarity of national traditions, language and religion. 

The solidarity and mutual respect of our people is vividly demonstrated by the development of relations in cultural and humanitarian sphere. In Baku, a monument to Alisher Navoi, in Tashkent – a monument to Nizami Ganjavi are erected. One of the streets of the capital of Azerbaijan is named after our great ancestor Mirzo Ulugbek, and one of the streets of Tashkent is named after the famous son of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev. Our compatriots of Azerbaijan nationality are living side by side, in friendship and harmony with many other nations and nationalities, making their worthy contribution to the development of Uzbekistan. 

The international conference on “Islamic solidarity: on the example of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan” once again demonstrated the similarity of mentality and aspirations of the two fraternal people. 

It was aimed at popularizing the ideas that are historically formed in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan for religious tolerance and interethnic harmony, maintaining peace and tranquility, interreligious tolerance and cooperation, protecting our people, especially the younger generation, from alien ideas, broad promotion of the achieved results. 

At the conference, issues such as freedom of religion, interreligious dialogue, religious and national values, severe consequences of extremism and terrorism, and their threat to international stability were discussed on the example of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. 

The forum demonstrated the commitment of our countries to the ideas of religious solidarity and tolerance, the traditions of interreligious dialogue, a joint position on countering current threats and challenges of our time was developed. 

The international conference served to raising the scientific and cultural cooperation between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan to a new level of development, contributed to bringing the peaceful and creative essence of Islam to the world community. 

Following the event, a Communique of the conference was adopted. 

The conference was attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan A.Aripov, the State Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan R.Komilov.