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Uzbekistan interim head Shavkat Mirziyoyev wins presidential elections

Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Mirziyoyev on winning Uzbekistan’s presidential elections
Shavkat Mirziyoyev Valery Sharifulin//TASS
Shavkat Mirziyoyev
© Valery Sharifulin//TASS

MOSCOW, December 5. /TASS/. Uzbekistan's interim leader Shavkat Mirziyoyev has become the country's new president. Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Shavkat Mirziyoyev on his election of Uzbekistan’s president and invited him to pay an official visit to Russia, the Kremlin press service said on Monday after their telephone conversation.

"The Russian president extended his warmest congratulations to Shavkat Mirziyoyev on his convincing victory at Uzbekistan’s presidential elections and wished him every success on this high state post," the Kremlin said. "Both sides reiterated their plans to further strengthen Russian-Uzbek allied relations of strategic partnership and to expand mutually beneficial cooperation in various spheres."

"Putin also invited Uzbekistan’s president-elect to pay an official visit to Russia. The invitation was accepted with gratitude," the press service said.

Early presidential elections were held in Uzbekistan on Sunday. The elections were appointed after the death of Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov on September 2. Four candidates from all Uzbekistan’s officially registered parties vied for presidency. The candidates were acting President and Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev nominated by the Movement of Entrepreneurs and Businessmen/the Liberal Democratic Party; Khatamzhon Ketmonov of the People’s Democratic Party; Sarvar Otamuratov of the Milliy Tiklanich (National Revival) Democratic Party; and Nariman Umarov of the Adolat (Justice) Social Democratic Party.

Chairman of Uzbekistan’s Central Election Commission Mirza-Ulugbek Abdusalomov said earlier on Monday Mirziyoyev is winning the elections with 88.61% of the vote.