Winners of Uzbek-European competition in journalism announced (+ video)

The competition was initiated by the Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR) with the assistance of the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the Kingdom of Belgium.

The solemn ceremony of awarding the winners of the Competition took place on September 21 this year in Brussels within the framework of the 30th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan, organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Belgium. The event was attended by representatives of political, expert and analytical, business circles of the EU and the Benelux countries, the diplomatic corps, as well as compatriots living in Europe.

The award ceremony was attended by the executive director of the Brussels Press Club, Laurent Brihai, head of the CERR sector, Nozimjon Artikov and the chief researcher, Hasanjon Majidov.

In his speech, Laurent Brihai noted the positive changes in the field of ensuring freedom of speech and press in Uzbekistan and spoke about the goals and objectives of the competition.

Based on the results of the submitted materials by a competent jury of leading European experts, the winner of the Competition was the article by the President of the information and analytical website "Eurocontinent" Dr. Pierre-Emmanuel Thomann "Uzbekistan as an anchor of stability in Central Eurasia" .

The winner received a diploma and a cash award of 2,000 euros.

The expert of the analytical center Dr. "Eurocontinent" Pierre-Emmanuel Thomann addressed the people of Uzbekistan with the best wishes in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

- I am convinced that the Republic of Uzbekistan will successfully cope with the transformation process on the way to modernizing the country.

Since 2007, I have had the opportunity to visit Uzbekistan 10 times. It is especially noticeable that every time one could observe obvious progress. First of all, this concerns infrastructure projects - commercial centers. It is noteworthy that the architectural style is based on a symbiosis of innovative elements that are intertwined with the national flavor. Thus, based on the example of infrastructure projects, we can say that the uniqueness of the model of Uzbek development lies in its openness to innovation while preserving the traditions inherent in the Uzbek people, - said Dr. Tomann.

The head of the external relations department of the Brussels Press Club, Gregor Kupper, noted that the goal of the project was to select an article with the best and most complete view of Uzbek-European relations.

- In addition, these articles allow us to assess the true extent of the relationship. As a country that was previously not open enough to a large European audience, today Uzbekistan is becoming one of the most attractive places due to its unique historical sites. Interest in the country has grown not only among European journalists, but also among representatives of the business and tourism community.

The Brussels Press Club has regularly received articles on very interesting topics from European journalists seeking this award. All this testifies to the great interest in Uzbekistan. The recent positive developments in the country have aroused great interest among European students, which has made them active observers of the latest news in Uzbekistan, - said Mr. Kupper in his speech.

Nozimjon Artikov, an expert of the Center for Economic Research and Reforms, thanked the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the Kingdom of Belgium and the Brussels International Press Club for supporting the idea of the Center and making a significant contribution to its successful organization.

He noted that in the framework of the competition, the Center selected an additional 2 best articles and awarded them special prizes.

So, incentive certificates and valuable gifts were presented to the authors of the article "Uzbek wedding" Marlene Tyutenel (Dutch collection "Uzbekistan - the pearl of the Great Silk Road"), as well as the article "Why is Uzbekistan relevant for the European Union?" Vite Kobiela.

For reference: Journalists working in European media from 27 EU countries, Great Britain, Switzerland and Norway took part in the Competition. The judges panel of the award included eminent journalists, experts, members of the Brussels International Press Club, who determined the winner of the Competition.

Brussels International Press Club was established in 2010 at the initiative of journalists based in Brussels. It is the chairman of the International Association of Press Clubs. It unites more than 1,000 journalists.

CERR Public Relations Service