Since the declaration of independence of Uzbekistan, the country has had only two presidents. The first is Islam Karimov, the second is Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Let’s talk about the latter. The history of the beginning of his reign is quite interesting, and the personality’s popularity is so great that the query “Uzbek president shavkat mirziyoyev” confidently reaches the top
Career
The path to politics for Mirziyoyev began with the Supreme Council of the then Uzbek SSR. At the beginning of 1990 he became a people’s deputy. On August 31, 1991, Uzbekistan left the USSR and became an independent state. The deputy’s chair remained with Mirziyoyev. A year later, the future president was appointed khokim. This is a very special position in Uzbekistan, functionally reminiscent of the head of the administration, only the size of the controlled area is very different: from an urban area to a region of the country. Mirziyoyev followed this path: first he headed one of the Tashkent districts, and in 2001 he headed the most profitable region in Uzbekistan.
2003 was an important milestone for Mirziyoyev: the politician became prime minister. He grew his influence very quickly, becoming a political heavyweight. Islam Karimov treated him with great sympathy – the more curious is the fact that the courses of the first and second presidents of Uzbekistan differ radically.
In 2016, Karimov died of a stroke. Nigmatilla Yuldoshev temporarily occupied the presidency as chairman of the Senate. However, Yuldoshev recused himself, and Mirziyoyev assumed the duties of the president. Less than two months later, elections were held, in which the new president received 88.61% of the vote.
Of course, it was Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The president was re-elected in 2021. But 2023 was marked by amendments to the constitution that reset the counter of presidential terms and increased their length. The fact is that in Uzbekistan you cannot be president for two terms in a row. Despite the fact that the re-election was early, this would be the third term – such a rule would be illegal.
China’s reaction
The elections were held on July 9, 2023, and already on the 10th, Chinese leader Xi Jinping sent his congratulations to Mirziyoyev. Such a prompt reaction in itself speaks volumes, but the essence of the congratulations finally clarifies the position of the Chinese authorities.
Xi Jinping said that he highly values not only his working relationship with Mirziyoyev, but also his personal friendship. In recent years, relations between China and Uzbekistan have been close and have developed rapidly. Cooperation has strengthened in all areas. Xi Jinping expressed hope that the course will be maintained: Uzbek-Chinese relations will only become stronger, which will benefit both states. Already, the strategic partnership between China and Uzbekistan is making the region safer and the Uzbek economy more productive.