An international round table entitled "Democratic development: security, human rights, cooperation for the sake of future" started in Tashkent on 15 November, UzA reported.

The forum was organized by the Regional Politics Foundation (Uzbekistan) together with the National Democratic Institute of International Relations (USA) and the coordinator of the OSCE projects in Uzbekistan. It was attended by experts and politicians from our country and other states such as Russia, Ireland, the Netherlands, the USA, the UK, France, Germany and Poland. Representatives from diplomatic corps and international organizations accredited in Tashkent also took part in the meeting.

On the first day of the forum, Sayfuddin Jorayev, head of the Regional Politics Foundation, Bernard Snoy, acting coordinator of the OSCE projects in Uzbekistan, Richard Glaub, resident director of the National Democratic Institute of International Relations (USA) in Uzbekistan, and Sergey Mikheyev, deputy director general of the Political Technologies Centre (Russia), discussed large-scale work being carried out in Uzbekistan to build a civil society. They noted that this meeting was a good opportunity to exchange experience in democratic development and security, and to learn about social and political reforms being implemented in the country.

In the process of building a democratic society, each country should take into account own conditions, ancient customs and traditions of its nation, its lifestyle, spiritual values, history and mentality. It was noted that there was no universal form of democracy appropriate for all states, and that an attempt to propagate alien experience in other countries may lead to negative consequences.

The participants in the meeting highly assessed the results of large-scale social and political reforms being implemented in Uzbekistan under the leadership of President Islom Karimov. In particular, the abolition of the death penalty in Uzbekistan from 2008 was stressed. Other positive changes in the judicial and legal spheres, as well as the activity of the ombudsman and the National Human Rights Centre, were mentioned. The confirmation of interethnic accord and religious tolerance in our everyday life, further raising citizens’ legal culture [awareness], and increasing the activeness of political parties in representing and protecting people’s interests were also noted.

During the two days, the participants in the forum will exchange views on the issues of establishing democratic institutes, stable social development, ensuring security, the role of political parties in increasing the activeness of civilians in the processes of social and political reforms and others.