On October 21, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev congratulated the people of the country on the Uzbek Language Day. In his address, he emphasised that the Uzbek language is a valuable heritage reflecting the cultural, historical and spiritual values of the nation, the press office of the President of Uzbekistan reported.
The President noted that in recent years, many official documents have been translated into the Uzbek language. Over 100,000 geographical objects have been registered officially, and over 150,000 advertising units in the regions have been brought into line with legislative norms. The Commission on Terms has updated the scientific criteria for the introduction of new concepts. In 2023, the country introduced a linguistic examination of regulatory and legal acts to ensure that documents conform with the state language.
The national testing system has been introduced to assess the level of Uzbek language proficiency among candidates for leadership positions. Of more than 3,000 applicants, about 1,500 received certificates in language proficiency. The Uzbek Language Development Fund published encyclopaedias, dictionaries and manuals and created the Explanatory Dictionary of the Uzbek Language website that is now available to a wide audience. Starting from 2025, Uzbek language teachers with a national certificate will receive a 50% monthly bonus on their salary.
Mirziyoyev noted the importance of preserving the culture and traditions of over 130 nationalities residing in Uzbekistan. Schools offer educational programmes in 7 languages, and about 160 national cultural centres operate throughout the country. The President urged to raise the status of the Uzbek language in the international arena.
