“Uzbekistan is a secular state and will remain so,” President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said on Monday at a meeting with the heads of Parliament, parties, the judiciary and the executive branches.

“This is the desire and firm choice of our people, voiced through a referendum,” he said. Earlier, we wrote that the President called the status of Uzbekistan as a sovereign, democratic, legal, social and secular state enshrined in the first article of the renewed Constitution “the five foundations” that determine the path of development and future of the country, which “will never change”.

“The policy of ensuring freedom of conscience for every citizen, regardless of their nationality, language, religion and social origin, creating all necessary conditions for the free activity of all religious denominations and ensuring the peaceful coexistence of nationalities and faiths in our country will continue in the future”, the President said.

“No radicalisation or use of religion for political purposes will ever be tolerated in our society,” he stressed.

“From the first day I started working as President I always repeat: “We have come to serve our people”, “We must address the needs of the people”, — said the head of the state.

“When we started the reforms, we faced many problems and challenges that we could never have imagined. We have found solutions to them together with our people, solving each problem on the spot,” Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

“The essence of the renewed Constitution and its main goal is also to create decent conditions for the prosperous life of our people,” he said.

“No matter how difficult the way to this goal is, we will find all the necessary means, if necessary, with a surplus, we will use all opportunities,” the President assured.

“Our people themselves are the fairest judge,” he said.