Uzbekistan and all the people of the country suffered a grave and irretrievable loss. On 2 September 2016, First President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov passed away. In connection with this, from 3 September, three days of mourning were declared in the country. Uzbekistan state flags are flying at half-mast throughout Uzbekistan and at the country’s diplomatic representative offices abroad.

On streets of Tashkent and Samarqand, tens of thousands of people bade farewell to President Islam Karimov with a deep sadness in their hearts and tears in their eyes. On 3 September, a farewell ceremony for First President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov took place in Samarqand’s Forums Complex.

The mourning ceremony was attended by the chairman of the Senate of Oliy Majlis (parliament). N.Yuldashev; the speaker of the Legislative Chamber of Oliy Majlis, N.Ismailov; senators, deputies, the heads of ministries and departments, representatives of the Republic of Qoraqalpoghiston, regions and the city of Tashkent, foreign states’ ambassadors and the heads of the representatives offices of international organizations in the country. The President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow; the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon; the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani; the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev; the Deputy Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Zhang Gaoli; the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, Lee Joonsik; the Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus, Andrei Kobyakov; the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Karim Masimov; the Chairman of the Milli Mejlis of Azerbaijan, Oktay Asadov; the Prime Minister of the Republic of Georgia, Georgi Kvirikashvili; the Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sooronbay Jeenbekov; the Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey, Turgul Yildirim; the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Stepan Kubiv; minister of state of the United Arab Emirates, Rashid bin-Ahmad bin Fahd; the deputy speaker of the parliament of Armenia, Ermine Nagdalian; Japan’s parliamentary minister, Motome Takisawa; the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Javad Zarif; the chairman of the Executive Committee of the CIS, Sergey Lebedev; and others arrived to attend the farewell ceremony. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Sh. Mirziyoyev, who opened the ceremony, expressed deep condolences to members of Islam Karimov’s family and the entire people of Uzbekistan.

The chairman of the Qashqadaryo Regional department of the Nuroniy foundation, Y.Inoyatov; a people’s poetess of Uzbekistan; E.Siddiqova; and others spoke about the grand work carried out by Islam Karimov and great successes achieved by him for the happiness of the Uzbek people and the further prosperity of his native Uzbekistan. The President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, emphasized that all the initiatives of a true patriot, great statesman and wise politician, Islam Karimov, had won support in the international community. The people of Turkmenistan have deep respect for Islam Karimov. G.Berdimuhamedow said that Islam Karimov had made a big contribution to the consistent development of Turkmen-Uzbek cooperation. In Turkmenistan, squares and streets will be named in honour of Islam Karimov. The President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, especially said that the life and work of Islam Karimov were vivid examples of selfless service for his Motherland and people. He especially emphasized that thanks to the wise policy of Islam Karmov, peace, calm and stability reign in Uzbekistan. As a result of the implementation of the Uzbek model of development, Uzbekistan’s economy rose by a factor of six in the years of independence, and the living standards and the people’s wellbeing are steadily rising.

The President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, expressed deep condolences to the Uzbek people on the passing away of First President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov. He said especially that Islam Karmov had made a great contribution to restoring peace and calm in Afghanistan and developing cooperation between the two countries and that a meeting with the President of Uzbekistan at the Tashkent summit of SCO that took place in June this year was very useful. On behalf of the Russian Federation’s President Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev, expressed sincere condolences to members of Islam Karimov’s family and the people of Uzbekistan. He said that Islam Karimov was an outstanding statesman and that he had set a lofty example of service for his Fatherland and people. Dmitry Medvedev emphasized that Islam Karimov had made a great contribution to raising relations between Russia and Uzbekistan to the level of allied relations. The Deputy Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Zhang Gaoli ,said that Islam Karimov was the founder of the independent Republic of Uzbekistan and that in the past years Uzbekistan developed comprehensively. He expressed confidence that Islam Karimov’s great work would be continued and that the country would be even more prosperous. Zhang Gaoli emphasized that thanks to Islam Karimov’s valuable services, in June this year, mutual relations between the two states were raised to the level of all-round strategic partnership and that China is ready for the consistent development of the cooperation with Uzbekistan.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Karim Masimov, read out a letter from the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. It says that the people of Kazakhstan were deeply saddened by grave news of Islam Karimov’s passing away. Large-scale reforms implemented in Uzbekistan in the years of independence, the rises in the country’s economic potential and its prestige in the international community and the growth in the population’s wellbeing are directly associated with the country’s President. Islam Karimov made an inestimable contribution to strengthening good-neighbourly relations between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. K.Masimov expressed condolences to members of Islam Karimov’s family and all the people of Uzbekistan. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus, Andrei Kobyakov, on behalf of Republic of Belarus President Alyaksandr Lukashenka and the people of Belarus, expressed deep condolences to members of Islam Karimov’s family, people close to him and the entire Uzbek nation. He emphasized that great personality, prominent leader Islam Karimov devoted all his energy, possibilities and potential to the cause of ensuring his Fatherland’s prosperity and people’s wellbeing. Kobyakov noted that the wise words of Islam Karimov “do not demolish the old house before building a new one” served as a basis for building this independent great state, the Republic of Uzbekistan, and that today this country has a multi-branch economy and has become a state donor of peace. The Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sooronbay Jeenbekov, read out a letter from President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev. In this letter, deep condolences to the Uzbek nation are expressed on the passing away of the First President of Uzbekistan. It notes that thanks to resolute actions of great statesman and wise politician Islam Karimov, issues relating to cooperation between the two states and issues of regional significance found positive solutions, which also serves the interests of these peoples today.

In line with Muslim rites, the mourning prayer was recited in the Tillaqori madrasah of the Registon complex. In accordance with his will, Islam Karimov was buried in the Shahi Zinda cemetery. His parents’ graves are also there. “The bright memory of the First President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the founder of the country’s independence and new statehood, prominent politician, peacekeeper and statesman loved by the entire Uzbek people, wise reformer and great person, Islam Karimov, will remain in our hearts forever.” These are sincere words coming from the bottom of the hearts of tens of thousands of Uzbeks who attended the farewell ceremony, and the entire Uzbek nation.