[Tojiyeva] Islam Karimov and Leonid Kuchma attended a ceremony devoted to the opening of a monument to Taras Shevchenko. Our head of state stressed the importance of today's event and said the following:

[Karimov in Russian] I would like to express special gratitude to representatives of the strong and very organized Ukrainian diaspora and particularly stress the active work of the Ukrainian centres Batkivshchina and Slavutich.

I am very pleased to see all of you, our esteemed guests, and those who represent Ukraine, which is close to all of us, with dignity and representatives of the public of our country here at this ceremony.

I would like to thank sincerely you all for your kindness, sincerity and mutual respect and for all that you are doing to strengthen and develop eternal friendship between the peoples of Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Respected friends. I am very pleased to welcome all those who represent Ukraine here today. I would like to say this once again. I would like to say to you Leonid Danilovich [Kuchma] that I do not know what it is like in your country, but here if we speak about the important role of Ukrainians in shaping Uzbekistan's future, I can give dozens of names, I can see people who represent Ukraine here, and they are doing it in a worthy manner.

I mean Nikolay Ivanovich Kucherskiy [the chairman of Kyzylkum rare metals and gold state concern in central Navoi Region]. He heads the largest plant in Uzbekistan, a plant that is known to the entire world.

I can see Gennadiy Prokhorenko who heads another big site, an enterprise, which is Uzbekistan's pride - the Almalyk mining and metallurgical group. I can see sculptors who have created many monuments, many architectural sites of which we are proud.

What I am saying is that we are inseparable friends today. The presence of this Ukrainian delegation, led by my friend Leonid Danilovich Kuchma, here I think will give a strong impetus to current and future relations, to those relations between the Uzbeks and the Ukrainians which are notable for kindness, trust and mutual respect. [In Ukrainian] Long live Ukraine!

[Tojiyeva] In his speech the Ukrainian president, Leonid Kuchma, said that he was glad to take part in this wonderful ceremony today and said the following in particular:

[Kuchma's voice in Russian] As the president of Ukraine and on behalf of the people of Ukraine I express deep gratitude to all those thanks to whom the creation of this monument has become possible, to sculptor Leonid Duryabtsev, to the Tashkent city administration, particularly to mayor Rustam Shoabdurahmonov and to representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora.

They all have made their contribution to this noble deed. Thanks to their efforts the name of the Ukrainian people's greatest son has been commemorated on Uzbek soil.

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