As the head of the state mentioned in his holiday greeting, over the past 15 years, the Emergency Ministry has held more than 4,000 major rescue operations to liquidate the consequences of natural hazards and anthropogenic accidents. Thanks to hard work and high professionalism of the rescuers, the threats to life and health of more than 16,000 of our citizens have been averted.

"Evaluating the uneasy path of formation of services and departments for emergency situations through these years, we have all grounds to say that ensuring a stable functioning of the economic objects, the lives of our country's citizens, their peaceful work and tranquility are in safe hands," the head of state emphasized.

As noted in the solemn meeting, creation of a reliable and efficient national system of protection of the population and country’s territories from natural disasters, anthropogenic accidents and catastrophes has been one of the key tasks since Uzbekistan obtained its independence and sovereignty.

A huge work has been carried out to improve this system’s operation, strengthen its material and technical base, train qualified staff, develop all necessary regulatory documents.  Laws on civil defense, on protection of the population and the territories from emergency accidents of natural and anthropogenic character, on rescue service and rescuers' status were adopted. The laws “On civil protection", "On protection of population and territories from natural and anthropogenic emergency situations”, "On rescue service and rescuers status" and other bills regulate the protection of population and territories from natural and anthropogenic emergency situations, arrangement of timely warning, prevention of disaster aftereffects, organization of public relationships, rescue service, activity of rescuers and constitution of their legal status. 

A fundamentally new state system of emergency prevention and response was created in the country with the Emergency Ministry as a coordinating body. It comprises over 40 different ministries and departments, all territorial levels of the country and ensures an efficient and close interaction between the government and self-government bodies, national forces and means to prevent and combat the effects of natural disasters and catastrophes.

The president noted the priority tasks in prospect. They include the further improvement of the activity and comprehensive strengthening of the material and technical base in all units of the state system of emergency prevention and response, training of highly qualified rescue personnel, and enhancement of the efficiency of preventive measures in the field of civil protection.

On the holiday eve the President of Uzbekistan signed a Decree “On awarding a group of Emergency Ministry staff on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the MES”. In compliance with the decree, a group of workers has been awarded the highest awards of the Motherland for their long-term valorous work in ensuring protection of the population and territory from emergency situations, the courage and devotion they demonstrated under a duty, a worthy contribution to the training of qualified specialists as well as active participation in sociopolitical life. These awards were presented in the solemn meeting.

“The holiday greetings from the President are another obvious demonstration of the high attention to this sphere,” said a rescuer Komil Choriyev, awarded a Sodiq Hizmatlari Uchun medal”. “This award entrusts us, the rescuers, with a huge responsibility and gives strength and energy in carrying out our duties.”