OPINION

Ensuring reliable protection of the rights and legitimate interests of our compatriots living, working, and studying abroad has been identified today as one of the top priorities of state policy and is of great importance to all of us.

At the video conference chaired by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, on January 15, 2026, clear and firm tasks were set to fundamentally improve the activities of diplomatic missions abroad, as well as to ensure the practical protection of the rights and interests of Uzbek citizens overseas. The meeting served as a clear demonstration that human interests, citizens’ security, and rights are at the core of the country’s foreign policy.

During the meeting, a new approach to the work of ambassadors and consuls was introduced, calling for the abandonment of so-called “cabinet diplomacy” and emphasizing direct engagement with compatriots abroad, including labor migrants and students. Particular attention was given to visiting their places of residence and study, identifying challenges on the ground, preventing violations of the law, and providing qualified legal assistance. It was stressed that diplomatic missions should deliver tangible support rather than limiting their work to formal responses.

Furthermore, in countries experiencing growing migration flows, consuls were tasked with systematically working with labor migrants, guiding citizens toward legal employment opportunities, preventing illegal employment, and strengthening cooperation with high-income countries in the field of lawful labor migration.

The initiative to introduce indicators such as export revenues, tourist inflows, and legal labor migration as key performance indicators (KPIs) for evaluating ambassadors’ performance demonstrates an effective and pragmatic approach that serves the country’s economic development.

In this regard, we—as representatives of educational institutions, public organizations, and the broader community—fully support these priority tasks outlined by the President and believe it is necessary to further strengthen engagement with our youth studying abroad and our labor migrants. Protecting human rights and the interests of compatriots is one of the strongest foundations of the development of the New Uzbekistan.

Olim Murtazayev
Director of the Samarkand Branch
Tashkent State University of Economics, Professor