Uzbek president to pay first visit to Turkey on Thursday

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will visit Turkey on Thursday after winning a second term in recent elections.

Mirziyoyev will be in Turkey on Nov. 11 to attend the Summit of Heads of State of Turkic Council, according to a statement by the office of Uzbekistan’s president.

The president, who was sworn in last week, will also hold a series of bilateral meetings in Istanbul.

“The first visits of the Presidents abroad after the elections are always important and symbolic,” Uzbek political expert Kamoliddin Rabbimov wrote on Twitter and Uzbekistan will once again confirm the strategic importance it attaches to relations with Turkic states, neighboring countries and Turkey.

Noting that Uzbekistan’s current foreign policy is extremely balanced and rational, he emphasized; "Today, Uzbekistan is getting closer with its natural, strategic allies by strengthening its relations with the Turkic states, particularly Turkey and neighboring countries."

Mirziyoyev was re-elected by winning 80.1% of the vote in elections on Oct. 24, according to the Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan.

More than 16 million registered voters cast votes at 10,760 polling stations, chairman commission Zayniddin Nizamhocayev told reporters.

Mirziyoyev took office in 2016 after the death of Islam Karimov, Uzbekistan’s first president who ruled the Central Asian country for 27 years.