A dialogue between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the country’s youth took place on February 24.
More than 60,000 young people participated in the meeting via studios in Karakalpakstan, across the regions, and in the city of Tashkent.
The president noted that the country’s more than 22 million young people represent a powerful economic, social, and political force. He emphasized that leaders at all levels must intensify efforts to equip youth with foreign language skills and professions, engage them in sports, support their ideas, projects and startups, and create conditions for sustainable employment and a decent income.
Today, the number of Uzbek students studying at prestigious universities such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, and Cornell has exceeded 500, while more than 3,500 young men and women have been admitted to the world’s top 100 universities.
Noting that 600,000 young people enter the Uzbek labor market each year—and that this figure will reach 1 million by 2030—the President emphasized that creating conditions for young people to secure employment aligned with their interests and abilities is a task of paramount importance.
According to a survey among youth, one-third expressed a desire to become entrepreneurs.
It was noted that last year, $400 million was allocated to banks and the Agency for Youth Affairs to ensure youth employment, and through the “Yoshlar Biznesi” and “Kelajakka Qadam” programs, 15,000 young people launched their own businesses, employing 50,000 people.
To continue this work, an additional $200 million has been announced to support youth entrepreneurship.
