The President addressed the participants of the international conference on food safety

Dear conference participants, ladies and gentlemen! I sincerely congratulate you, dear ones, on the opening of the international conference dedicated to food safety in the ancient and beautiful city of Samarkand. More than 620 foreign guests from 32 countries of the world and representatives of more than 30 prestigious international organizations are taking part in this conference. Of course, it is not by chance that the city of Samarkand was chosen for this conference. This ancient city with almost three thousand years of history and culture has been an important crossroads on the Great Silk Road for centuries. As you know, the issues of food security, its sustainable supply, and the fight against hunger and poverty remain extremely relevant today. In recent decades, thanks to the "green revolution" and the widespread introduction of innovative technologies, the production volume of agricultural products has increased dramatically, and significant progress has been made in providing food to the ever-increasing world population. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic, crises in world politics and economy later caused chain breaks and price increases in the supply system of agricultural products. Especially developing countries suffer from this. Global climate change and reduced investment in agriculture and food systems are exacerbating the situation. This puts the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals at risk. The Republic of Uzbekistan was one of the first to support the initiative of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to hold a global summit on food systems in 2021. Today's conference is a logical continuation of this summit. Currently, the creation of high-yielding varieties of agricultural crops, resistant to external influences, and improvement of livestock breeding are of great importance. It is becoming urgent to establish information-consulting centers for farmers and small producers, to train them on advanced technologies and methods that save resources, and to fundamentally improve the quality of agro-consulting services. Modern technologies and agricultural machinery should be accessible and affordable to farmers in developed and developing countries alike. We call on international financial institutions to pay special attention to this issue and develop concrete practical measures to expand the opportunities of agricultural producers to use "green technologies". We are in favor of complete freedom in the trade and transportation of essential products and simplification of the rules governing the movement of food shipments. Ensuring the security and openness of trade routes should remain an unchanging principle in interstate relations. Dear friends! The land of Uzbekistan has long been famous for its ancient and rich farming traditions, extremely diverse, delicious and unique agricultural products. The agricultural sector is one of the leading sectors of our economy, and 27% of our working population work in this sector. Special attention is paid to the issues of turning agriculture into a more efficient and resource-saving sector in our country, improving the living standards of rural residents, providing our people with safe and vitamin-rich food products at affordable and stable prices, and establishing a healthy diet. 'attention is being paid. The great scholar Ibn Sina, who grew up in our country and became famous in the West as "Avicenna", said in the Middle Ages that "Whoever wants to live a long and healthy life should first pay attention to the quality and quantity of food." . Of course, forming a culture of healthy eating among the world's population is a long-term process. We believe that the governments of all countries, manufacturers, scientists and medical personnel should work in close cooperation to achieve this goal. Dear conference participants! I believe that during the conference, you will exchange ideas on such important issues and develop new initiatives and practical proposals that will serve to strengthen food security on a global scale. Welcome to the hospitable land of Uzbekistan! May your visit to our country be meaningful and productive!