29 april. In Uzbekistan under the leadership of President Islam Karimov widespread reforms in educating and training the new generation are taking place. Improving public education, the most important part of fulltime education, is of special importance, as set out in the National program for training specialists. The presidential decree “On the State general program for development of school education for 2004-9” and the corresponding resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers are central to achieving this goal.

The Ministry of education worked out a state order for 2005, including supplies of furniture, laboratory equipment and computer technology for public schools, and announced a tender. This tender for furniture, lab equipment and sports inventories has been launched with an exhibition in UzExpoCenter, including 47 enterprises whose products fit the requirements of the tender, including quality, attractiveness, design and price.  

President Islam Karimov visited the exhibition and saw the proposed equipment, including computer furniture, linguist lab equipment, art supplies, library equipment, conference halls and cafeterias, as well as sporting inventories.  

29 august. In Samarkand the 5th international musical festival Sharq taronlalari has opened.  

President Islam Karimov went to Samarkand August 27 to take part in the festival and to acquaint himself with the creative work being done there.  

The festival works against enmity and presents the rich spirituality of our people. In correspondence to the resolution of the President (15.6.5) great preparatory work for the festival was done on a high ideological-artistic level. The President saw the new and repaired buildings on Navoi street and the Sharq iulduzi cinema.  

"We must draw attention to the planting of trees in the conditions of Samarkand," said the President, learning of the creative work in the Central Navoi park. "Trees should be carefully selected and looked after. The park should create an atmosphere to make people happy."  

31august. President Islam Karimov took part in the meeting at the memorial complex Shahidlar hotirasi, in connection with the Day of memory of victims of repression. President Islam Karimov met with representatives of social groups and journalists and spoke.  

This complex is in memory of the thousands of compatriots who were victims of repression during the colonial regime, said President Islam Karimov. These people struggled for our freedom and happy days. The memorial has accurate information about their struggles.  

Respecting their memory on the eve of our greatest and dearest holiday allows us to acknowledge not only our past, but to cherish the present happy days. We should note the following. In conditions of direct struggle against international terrorism, some powers try to slander our country. A person who considers himself a true son of this land does not have the right to be indifferent or unconcerned. We must cherish our independence like the apple of our eye, preserve freedom and prosperity for future generations. The motherland is our sacred duty.  

8 november. There was a regular session of the guardian council of the Fund for the development of children’s sport, chaired by its chairman President Islam Karimov.  

The President underlined that the goal of the session was to hear the report of the Fund on its work from August 2004 to the present on the creation of sport infrastructure, especially in rural areas, to attract children to sport, as well as to discuss the use of the 2005 budget and to project budget needs in 2006. The need to guarantee equipment and its production in Uzbekistan and to raise the role and responsibilitiy of local organs of power in the development of children’s sport in rural areas were also discussed.  

Not everyone thought that this committee would be important, said the President. But the work it has done shows that the tasks of the Fund include not only solving certain social problems by developing sport locally, but in educating the harmoniously developing generation, strengthening the faith and will of our children, forming in them independent thought and such qualities as faith in the motherland and love of country.  

Sport hardens one’s character, forming feelings of pride in one’s people and country, contributing to this education.  

This year 155 children’s sports facilities were built. 153 are already functioning. In 2004-5 101 new facilties were supplied with equipment worth 1.22b sums. Last year 47 types of equipment were imported, while this year 31 types were built in Uzbekistan. Next year 162 facilties will be built.  

28 december. On the main square a new monument of the happy mother has been raised. President Islam Karimov laid a wreath at the monument "Independence and humanism". (+video)  

"This great monument that was put up in the first days of independence in Mustakillik square we call the monument to independence," said President Karimov. "Beside it we are putting up a new monument of the happy mother.