A national referendum on the law on the new Uzbekistan Constitution will be held in Uzbekistan on April 30. The updated Basic Law is intended to consolidate the country’s strategic course for further reform of society and the state, which has had a positive impact on its foreign policy, primarily in the Central Asia region.
In 2016, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev declared Central Asia the main priority of Uzbekistan’s foreign policy. The preamble of the new draft constitution notes “Uzbekistan’s desire to strengthen and develop friendly relations with the world community, primarily with neighboring states, on the basis of cooperation, mutual support, peace and harmony.”
It is noteworthy that in June 2018, the U.N. General Assembly adopted the resolution “Strengthening regional and international cooperation to ensure peace, stability and sustainable development in the Central Asian region” on the initiative of Mirziyoyev. He noted at the time, “Our main goal is to jointly transform Central Asia into a stable, economically developed and prosperous region.”