Dear friends!
It gives me great pleasure to sincerely and wholeheartedly congratulate you, dear journalists, employees of publishing houses and printing companies, radio and television, dear veterans sphere, on the Day of the press and the media and to express to you my deep respect and reverence.
We all know that today its impossible to imagine life without your difficult and responsible work, without the multifaceted activities of the media.
Millions of people always wait and perceive the fruits of your painstaking work with great interest and attention, wherever they are. At the present time ever increasing role and importance of objective information about world events and various processes of penetrating into the heart of each person to the journalist about everyday worries and problems of life of people, their solutions.
Our people, our entire public know well and appreciate your great contribution to the strengthening of the independence of the country, increasing political and social activism, cultural and spiritual level of the population, consistently achieving the great goals of our country.
Dear compatriots!
I think all of you will agree with me that we should never forget that we live in the twenty-first century – in a rapidly changing, contradictory, when constantly having new and sometimes extremely complex problems that we have not previously encountered.
It’s no secret that in the face of increasing globalization events and phenomena occurring in any corner of the world, immediately found an echo in the other. Naturally, it requires all of us current knowledge, high intellectual potential, mastery of information and communication technologies and foreign languages, in short, continuous training, skills and professionalism.
Particularly, now radically changing not only life, but also the man himself, his spiritual, inner peace, and accordingly – his attitude to what is happening around and requirements of life. I think there is no need to remind once again that in such difficult, rapidly changing media activities will be truly effective only when each employee is deeply conscious of the scope of this truth.
In this respect, comparing the life and worldview of our present compatriots and people of yesterday, that is the 90s, you can see a huge difference between them as between heaven and earth.
It is a sure thing that the new era in which we live, new social relations put forward before the media extremely important and urgent task – to meet the requirements of our rapidly developing society, to raise issues worrying people, to seek and find answers to them, to form public opinion.
There are many examples of the work we have done to further strengthen the role and influence of the mass media of the country in the implementation of democratic reforms, strengthening their legal, material and technical base, increase their independence, social status and prestige of the profession of journalism, material and moral stimulation of employees of this sphere.
I would like to draw your attention to just a few facts and figures.
In recent years our country has adopted about 10 laws related to media activities in a number of laws made the appropriate changes and additions.
When talking about this, it should be stressed that the issue of comprehensive support of the media is constantly at the center of our attention. It clearly confirms that over the last 7 years on the development of the state budget has been allocated about 13 billion soums in loans, the social order and state grants.
In Uzbekistan in the years of independence the number of media has increased 3.6 times and now is more than 1400, their material and technical base is dramatically improved, which indicates what a long way we have come in this direction.
Along with traditional media, Internet journalism is developing dynamically in the country. The number of websites in just the last five years has increased 2 times and exceeded 300, it promotes a radical change and enrich our national information space.
Today, 66 television channels, 34 radio channels operate in republic, indicating a steady increase in the efficiency of electronic media networks and their share in the overall structure of the sphere.
As a result of our extensive work 54% of the population of Uzbekistan are currently using possibilities of digital television. This year will be installed 84 high power TV-transmitting devices, thus we will achieve 100% coverage of digital television all over the country.
Daily general broadcasting of TV channels only, which are part of the National Television and Radio Company of Uzbekistan totals 520 hours, and in the recent past – note – only 24 hours. Uzbek television programs via satellite broadcast in more than 100 countries and play an important role in familiarizing the world community with an ancient history, rich culture of Uzbekistan, its modern development.
It should be noted that much more significant place in our life is taken by non-government media, which is an important factor of the formation of civil society. The practical proof of that is the fact that about 60% of the print media, 67% of TV and radio channels, and 95% of Internet publications in the country are among the non-state sector.
Dear friends!
On this remarkable day, speaking about the achievements, challenges we face in the field of press and information, it is appropriate to speak about the prospects of its development.
When we ask ourselves: “What we were yesterday, and who we have become today, what new frontiers we must achieve tomorrow?” I think you are all well aware that it has to do first of all with you, selfless workers of mass media constantly being in creative research.
We have set ourselves an important goal – to enter the number of the developed democratic countries in the world and as a basic condition and guarantee of achieving the set high frontiers are considering increasing the competitiveness of our country in the international arena. Given this acquisition our national journalism worthy place in the global media space remains the most urgent task.
From this perspective, it is noteworthy that in recent years systematically conducted training seminars and workshops for workers with the participation of well-known world of media. As a result, last year more than 650 employees of the domestic media have increased their qualifications and skills. Along with this, many Uzbek journalists have trained abroad. Undoubtedly, the strengthening of fruitful relations will serve to further development of the information industry.
In our country is also a lot of work to prepare a new generation of journalists, including highly skilled reviewers and journalists. The next practical step in this direction was the recent construction of a new modern building of the Faculty of Journalism of the National University of Uzbekistan, have all the necessary material and technical base and infrastructure for a deep mastery of the profession, information and communication technologies and foreign languages, which would enhance the intellectual and creative potential of the country’s journalists .
Dear compatriots!
We all know that man is created for happiness. However, as confirmed by life itself, it can not be truly happy if only aims to achieve material well-being, put their own interests above all else. In my opinion, happiness – is, first of all, peaceful and quiet life, well-being in the family and the country, love for their homeland, preserve dignity and honor even in the most difficult trials of life, a commitment to high moral values.
From our history its well known that the Uzbek people for many centuries preserves as the apple of its eye and passes it on to next generations such wonderful human qualities as humanism, kindness and compassion, magnanimity and generosity.
I think these noble qualities, for thousands of years helped our people and country to overcome various troubles and misfortunes that gave strength and confidence, now enrich our lives and will continue to be for the domestic media the main theme, never loses its value and importance. I am convinced that the preservation of spirituality – is primarily the preservation of humanity, the man himself. We must never forget this truth, especially in the current environment of growing threats and challenges against our spiritual world.
Speaking about this, I would like to repeat an important idea which was previously expressed. Perhaps, in economic terms for now we are a little behind the developed countries, but we have every reason to believe that we are ahead of them in a spiritual sense. If today we, carefully preserving this unique heritage that allows us to live with our heads held high, with a sense of pride and dignity, pass on it to our young people to perceive it with mind and with all their heart, raise our dear children as harmoniously developed personalities, in the spirit of national and universal values, then surely we will create a solid foundation for our tomorrow, our future.
When performing such important and urgent tasks of our society, we all rely primarily on you, your knowledge abd experience, your professional skills, your civic position.
Taking this opportunity, I want to reiterate that I am always ready to give full support to you, dear journalists, dedicated to serving the interests of people, the country and the people, the statement of the principles of social justice and humanism, as I consider you as my closest associates.
Dear friends!
On this wonderful day, I sincerely congratulate you on your professional holiday and wish you health, happiness, good luck and further success.
Islam Karimov,
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan