President meets with youth and unveils new initiatives

At the beginning of his address, the President warmly congratulated the country's young men and women on the occasion.

"From the very beginning of the reforms, we identified supporting young people and helping them achieve their dreams and aspirations as one of the highest priorities of state policy," the President said.

In recent years, a fundamentally new system has been established in this area. Youth leaders have been introduced in every mahalla, creating broad opportunities to support youth initiatives, employment, education, vocational training, and entrepreneurship. Every Thursday, now observed as "Youth Day," ministries and government agencies mobilize their efforts to identify and address the issues facing young people.

As a result, the issues of 1.5 million young people have been resolved through the "Youth Notebook" programme. The number of young entrepreneurs has increased fivefold to more than 287,000, while the number of young people actively studying foreign languages has reached 3.5 million. Talented schoolchildren and students have won 434 medals at prestigious international academic Olympiads, while young athletes have won 2,245 medals at international competitions.

President Shavkat Mirizyoyev emphasized that, in today's increasingly competitive world, a country's strength is determined primarily by knowledge, technology, and human capital.

"Today, countries compete not with territories, but with knowledge,  not with the size of their population, but with technology, not with natural resources, but with human capital. The new knowledge economy, based on knowledge, science, and intellectual potential, is becoming a decisive force," the President said.

The Head of State called on young people to become worthy heirs to the nation's great ancestors and help lay the foundation for the Third Renaissance in New Uzbekistan.

During the meeting, the President also spoke about the performance of Uzbekistan's national football team at the FIFA World Cup. He noted that matches against strong opponents had enabled the players to gain valuable experience, while the debut World Cup goals scored by Abbos Fayzullaev and Eldor Shomurodov brought great joy to the people.

"Giving in to excessive emotions, criticizing members of the national team who defended the honor of the Motherland, or looking for someone to blame is not characteristic of our people. On the contrary, today, more than ever, it is important to support and encourage them," the President said.

The Head of State emphasized that the team's greatest victories still lie ahead. To achieve this, greater emphasis must be placed on youth football and the sport must be transformed into a truly nationwide movement. Preparations for the AFC Asian Cup, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia next January, will begin immediately.

The President identified knowledge, a profession, and modern technologies as the three essential pillars enabling young people to find their rightful place in life.

To this end, the "Knowledge of the Future" ecosystem will be launched, under which 500,000 young people will receive training in modern professions each year. Young people wishing to establish training centers will be provided with land plots and state-owned facilities on preferential terms. The necessary infrastructure will be developed at the state's expense, while interest payments on loans for the construction and equipping of such centers will also be subsidized.

A "Vocation Voucher" program will be introduced for young people who already have a profession but seek to acquire new skills. Each year, the cost of training in modern professions for 50,000 young people will be covered through interest-free loans. In addition, 85,000 unemployed young people from low-income families will receive free vouchers for vocational training at private educational institutions. This year alone, 120 billion soums will be allocated for the implementation of the programme.

Private sector participation in the activities of technical colleges will be expanded, while licensing requirements will be simplified. Beginning with the new academic year, state grants for vocational education will also be made available to private technical colleges. Winners of international professional skills competitions and their mentors will receive cash awards.

The President also emphasized the importance of harnessing the potential of more than 650,000 young people proficient in foreign languages to promote Uzbekistan's rich history, cultural heritage, tourism potential, and export opportunities internationally. To support this effort, a "Digital Content" platform will be launched, with annual funding of 20 billion soums.

A new system will also be introduced to strengthen engagement with young people studying abroad. A digital interaction platform will be launched to enable more than 14,000 students enrolled at leading foreign universities to undertake internships and practical training during academic breaks at ministries, khokimiyats, and state and private enterprises in Uzbekistan. Opportunities to pursue studies at prestigious foreign universities through the "El-yurt umidi" Foundation will also be extended to the private sector.

The Head of State announced that employers hiring university graduates will benefit from a reduced income and social tax rate of 1 percent for young specialists for one year. This measure is expected to provide a significant boost to the employment of nearly 200,000 graduates.

To support young people left without parental care, as well as those returning from military service, labor migration, or correctional facilities, and young people with disabilities, the "Guaranteed First Step" support package will be introduced. Students who mentor disengaged young people under the "Student-Mentor" program will also be provided with incentives.

In addition, the "Youth Mini-Franchise" program will be launched. Young people acquiring franchises of local brands will be eligible for interest-free loans of up to 300 million soums through the Youth Entrepreneurship Fund. A total of 500 billion soums will be allocated for the implementation of these initiatives.

Youth hubs will be established, enabling young people to access vocational training, foreign language courses, employment, and entrepreneurship services through a one-stop service model. The initiative will first be introduced in Surkhandarya region before being gradually expanded nationwide.

To strengthen youth participation in public administration, the "TOP-100" program will be launched across five areas. Its winners will receive awards and be recommended for leadership positions. Each ministry and sector will identify talented young people and offer them internship opportunities at international organizations. A separate programme will be developed to provide 2,000 young people annually with such internships.

To encourage young people and unite them around shared goals, the "Youth League of Uzbekistan" platform will be launched. Under this platform, young people's educational, professional, entrepreneurial, scientific, and social achievements will be assessed. High-performing participants will receive grants, tuition discounts, vocational vouchers, preferential loans, overseas internship opportunities, inclusion in the national talent pool, and mortgage benefits.

The Banking and Finance Academy will serve as a think tank for the development of youth entrepreneurship. Its students will prepare ready-made business projects for implementation in the regions, while the Youth Entrepreneurship Fund will make them available to young entrepreneurs on preferential terms. The Fund will invest up to 5 billion soums in high-impact projects capable of generating substantial income and creating large numbers of jobs. The initiative is expected to create opportunities for at least 300,000 young people to start their own businesses.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev also outlined new tasks to support innovative startups.

"Our goal is for the economy to exceed $240 billion by 2030. Achieving this target requires innovative startups capable of bringing new ideas to every sector of the economy," the President said.

It was noted that over the past nine years, Uzbekistan's startup ecosystem has expanded fifteenfold to more than $4 billion, giving rise to over 1,200 promising startup projects. Every minister, sector leader, and khokim is now implementing the "1,000 Problems – 1,000 Solutions from Youth" initiative. The Agency for Youth Affairs will invest up to 1 billion soums in each of the 100 best projects in business, information technology, and the creative economy.

Opportunities for young people in information technology and artificial intelligence will continue to expand. The first supercomputer cluster has been commissioned at the "Digital Government" Center, and its computing capacity will be tripled next year. This year, artificial intelligence laboratories will be established at 20 universities. Young people will be able to use these facilities free of charge to develop solutions to challenges facing various regions and sectors.

The establishment of new IT parks will create more than 20,000 high-paying jobs for young people. Under the "My First Computer" program, 10,000 young people from low-income families will receive assistance in purchasing laptops.

The dual education system will be expanded for students studying information technology and artificial intelligence. A state scholarship named after Muhammad al-Khwarizmi will be established, along with the "Girl Engineers" scholarship for talented young women. The monetary award of 1 billion soums, previously granted to winners of international Olympiads, will also be extended to winners of international artificial intelligence Olympiads.

To strengthen national identity among young people and increase the share of national content in the digital space, incubation centers for computer and mobile game developers will be established at IT parks. A state order will be placed each year for the development of at least 20 computer and mobile games promoting national values.

"No young man or young woman should be left out of the opportunities we are creating for our youth," the President said.

To this end, the "Love for the Motherland – Social Initiatives" competition and the "Qanot" ("Wing") project, aimed at supporting children from socially vulnerable groups, will be launched. An "Initiatives Office" will also be established to transform ideas put forward during the "Youth Initiatives Marathon" into practical projects. A total of 50 billion soums will be allocated for the implementation of these measures.

The meeting also noted that crimes related to the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances pose a serious threat to the future of young people and the nation's gene pool.

"We will under no circumstances allow this evil to spread among our youth, and we will not stop until we eradicate it completely. Drug addiction deprives a person of the most valuable things in life – health, willpower, reason, dreams, and aspirations. Remember: life is given to us only once. Be uncompromising in the face of this evil and devote every minute of your life to good deeds," the Head of State said.

Addressing parents, the President emphasized that the foundation for a child's comprehensive development and bright future is laid first and foremost within the family. He called on parents to be even more attentive and responsible in raising their children in today's rapidly changing and increasingly challenging environment.

The meeting concluded with an open dialogue with young people, during which participants shared their proposals and initiatives.

In closing, the President encouraged young people to pursue ambitious goals, diligently acquire knowledge, master a profession, and embrace modern technologies.

"Your energy, thirst for knowledge, and desire to explore new horizons always inspire me. Pursue ambitious goals with confidence, continue learning, master new knowledge, modern professions, and technologies, never fear difficulties, and never shy away from hard work. Always remember that behind you stand parents who have placed great hopes in you, teachers and mentors who have given you knowledge, values, and a profession. And you have a President who will always stand by you, believe in you, and support you," said President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.