The meeting also focused on employment opportunities for Uzbek citizens returning from abroad. Since the beginning of the year, 1.116 million people have returned from Russia, Japan, South Korea, Germany, the United Kingdom and other countries. Many have experience working with modern technologies in industry, construction, logistics and services.
Regional governors and industry officials have been instructed to offer returnees suitable jobs that make the most of their professional skills. A database will be created containing information on their occupations, work experience and employment.
By the end of the year, officials have been tasked with finding suitable vacancies for 250,000 returnees and creating conditions for those wishing to start their own businesses.
The meeting also addressed the regulation of foreign workers amid Uzbekistan's growing appeal as a destination for foreign nationals. Around 250,000 foreign citizens currently stay in the country for extended periods.
Of these, 36,000 have work permits and another 24,000 are students. Mirziyoyev instructed officials to establish what the remaining 190,000 people do and what sources of income they rely on.
The president also noted that 80% of foreign nationals holding work permits are employed in jobs that do not require high qualifications, primarily in construction, building materials production, textiles and services.
He stressed the need to protect the domestic labor market, pointing to similar practices in developed countries.
"We continue to pursue an open policy in this area [the labor market], but there must now be discipline in this matter," Mirziyoyev said.
He emphasized that new jobs should be offered to Uzbek citizens as a priority. Officials have been given one month to launch the platform for tracking foreign nationals' places of residence and employment.
