Over the past 17 years, enormous work has been carried out to create a mobile and well-equipped army, capable of effectively solving tactic and strategic tasks to ensure security and stability of the country, the head of the state said.

Based on the thoroughly developed army reform program and evaluation of the external and internal threats and challenges to security, a principally new system of construction and management of the Armed Forces has been formed, Islam Karimov said.

The army service has been reduced to one year and contract-based service has been introduced, which served to increase of the Armed Forces’ capabilities, he added.

In 2008, the salaries of the military servicemen were increased by 51% on the average. The young people, who have served in the army, enjoy a whole system of privileges when entering universities. Currently, over 22,000 such young people are studying at the Uzbek universities, UzA reported.

"Our army … has become a reliable guarantor of security of our Motherland, peaceful labor, progressive development of the country on the way of construction of democratic legal state and open civil society," Islam Karimov said.

In his address, the President also touched upon the military and political situation in Central Asia in light of the 30-year war in Afghanistan and increased terrorist and extremist activities there.

"Local wars, armed confrontations, conflicts and demonstrations of terrorism continuing in various regions are a serious challenge to global security in the world."

All of these make Uzbekistan strengthen attention to further reforming the army and increasing the military potential of the Armed Forces, he noted.