On 2 May President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received letters of credentials of the newly appointed Head of delegation of the European Union in our country Eduards Stiprais, the Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kyrgyz Republic, the French Republic, the Italian Republic, the Czech Republic, Japan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Turkey, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Uzbekistan Daniyar Sidikov, Violaine de Villemeur, Andea Bertozzi, Jaroslav Siro, Nobuaki Ito, Amani al-Itr, Ahmet Başar Şen, Hisham bin Mishal al-Suveylim. 

The President of our country, warmly greeting the heads of diplomatic missions, underlined that Uzbekistan attaches a particular significance to steady development of cooperation with these states. 

From the first days of the independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan has been consistently carrying out a deeply thought-out foreign policy, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said. The centuries-old history and culture, traditions and values of our people, their noble dreams, endeavours and interests are laid on its foundation. 

The foreign policy of Uzbekistan is conducted in full conformity with the main legal principles of the Charter of the United Nations Organization and our Constitution, as well as international obligations, taken by our country. 

In our foreign policy, we will continue to rely on the strategic tasks and priority directions, determined in the Concept of foreign pollical activity of the Republic of Uzbekistan. 

We will always remain loyal to the course, chosen by us and based on the peace-loving policy, aimed at resolving emerging confrontations and challenges only through peaceful and political means, the Head of our state said. 

Non-alliance with any military-political blocs, not allowing deployment of military bases and facilities of other states in the territory of Uzbekistan, non-participation of our soldiers in operations abroad will remain a solid political position of our state. 

We will pursue a pragmatic policy in the spirit of openness and commitment to peace in relation to all our partners in the sphere of foreign policy, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev highlighted. 

Uzbekistan highly regards the constructive relations with the European Union. The Partnership and Cooperation Agreement constitutes the solid legal base of this cooperation. Effective mechanisms of multifaceted relations- Council and Committee on cooperation, the Committee on interparliamentary cooperation and others function based on this document. 

Holding of the next "EU-Central Asia" ministerial meeting in Uzbekistan this autumn will serve to further reinforce mutually beneficial cooperation. 

Approval by the European Parliament last year of the textiles deal opens new horizons for further reinvigoration of the cooperation in the trade-economic sphere. 

Our country, within the frameworks of the wide-scale investment program of the Uzbekistan-EU partnership, actively works on further developing cooperation with the European bank for reconstruction and development. 

Uzbekistan attaches a specific attention to developing relations of good neighbourliness, friendship and cooperation with all countries of the world, first of all, with the neighbouring countries. 

The Republic of Uzbekistan considers the elevation of interactions with the Kyrgyz Republic to a new level as an important task. The time-tested fraternal ties between our peoples are reinforced in the spirit of mutual respect and friendship relations, common cultural values. 

The negotiations of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev in Samarkand have opened a new page in the bilateral cooperation. Our country is ready for more effective interactions with Kyrgyzstan, based on mutual respect, mutual acknowledgement of interests of the parties and in accordance with the norms of international law. 

Wide-scale relations between Uzbekistan and France have been steadily developing. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, France supported the initiative of Uzbekistan on establishing the Central Asian Nuclear Weapon Free Zone. 

An active political dialogue is conducted between our countries. Minister of foreign affairs of Uzbekistan visited Paris in March this year, followed by a visit of the French foreign minister to Tashkent in April. 

The participation of French companies in developing the economy of our country as well as the growth of bilateral trade volumes need to be stressed. The representative office of the French development agency has started operations in Uzbekistan. 

The cooperation in a cultural-humanitarian sphere is a main direction of our interactions. Supporting the activity of the "Alliance Française" in our country facilitates deep learning of the French language by the Uzbek youth. 

The relations between Uzbekistan and Italy have been dynamically developing. The close and effective cooperation between the Parliaments of the two countries deserves attention. 

The cooperation in the sphere of trade, economics and industry, as well as next meeting of the Uzbekistan-Italy intergovernmental working group on export credits in Rome this year will create favourable conditions for increasing the volume of bilateral trade, Italian investments to the economy of our country. 

The Turin polytechnic university in Tashkent, opened in 2009, is one of the prestigious higher educational institutions, where the youth of Uzbekistan strives to get admission and study. 

Considering the demand in the economy, the quota for admission to this university is expected to increase this year. 

The friendship relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Czech Republic have been consolidating. The delegations, headed by President of the Senate of the Czech Republic M. Štěch, Speaker of the Chamber of deputies J. Hamáček visited our country in 2015 and in February this year respectively. The parties are interested in organizing visits on different levels, including on the highest level. 

It is possible to widely utilize the unused big opportunities in the spheres of trade, investments and tourism for the development of Uzbekistan and the Czech Republic, the welfare of our peoples. 

Japan is a strategic partner, which has an important place in the foreign policy of Uzbekistan. Japan is not only a developed economy, but also an influential state, playing ever more significant role in resolving global problems. 

The official visit of the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzō Abe in October 2015 to Uzbekistan has been a new phase in developing the multifaceted cooperation between our countries in the spirit of strategic partnership. 

Uzbekistan is willing to further enhance investment and financial-technical cooperation with Japan, jointly implement projects and programs in such prospective areas as high technologies, transport infrastructure, communications, machinery. 

The Uzbekistan-Japan youth innovative centre is envisaged to be opened at the Tashkent state technical university named after Islam Karimov. This centre will have an important significance in wide introduction of advanced innovative ideas and technologies into the industrial sphere. 

The peoples of Uzbekistan and Egypt are linked with centuries-old ties, common cultural values. Both our nations similarly take pride in the rich scientific heritage of our great ancestor Ahmad Fargoni, creator of the unique equipment to measure the level of water in the Nile river- nilometer. 

The monument to our great ancestor, installed in Cairo, is a symbol of high esteem of the people of Egypt to the Uzbek people. 

Uzbekistan is interested in increasing to a new phase of the traditionally friendly relations with the Arab Republic of Egypt, which has a huge authority not only in the region, but also in the whole Arab and Muslim world. 

Turkey is one of the first states, which acknowledged the independence of Uzbekistan. The negotiations of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, that took place in Samarkand, has seen the start of elevating the relations between our countries to a new level. 

Uzbekistan has adopted a Plan of practical activities or a Roadmap, covering all spheres of implementing bilateral agreements. In increasing the volumes of mutual trade turnover and implementing prospective investment projects, the activities of the Inter-governmental commission on trade-economic cooperation has a large role. 

The agreements, reached during the recent visit of governmental delegation of Uzbekistan to Turkey, in the spheres of trade and investments, tourism, transport communications, logistics and other spheres serve as a solid base for further developing mutually beneficial cooperation. 

These issues have been discussed within the framework of the recent visit of the Turkish foreign minister to Uzbekistan. 

The cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has an important significance for Uzbekistan. 

Taking into account the increase in recent years of the number of our compatriots, wishing to make Hajj, in 2017 the number of pilgrims from our countries to make Hajj has been increased. 

Uzbekistan attaches an important significance to the relations with Saudi Arabia within the framework of international organizations, including Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Currently Uzbekistan presides in the Council of foreign ministers of this organization. 

Uzbekistan supports further bolstering mutually beneficial and long-term relations with Saudi Arabia in trade-economic, investment and financial spheres. 

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, sincerely congratulating the Ambassadors with the commencement of their missions in our country, wished them successes in their responsible activity.

UzA