Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 26 August, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the opening ceremony of the 12th Sharq Taronalari International Music Festival and delivered a speech.

The head of state greeted the guests and congratulated the audience on the opening of the festival. Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted that the event has become a kind of platform for dialogue between different cultures and civilizations, countries and peoples, and that each artist, climbing this beautiful scene on the majestic Registan Square, sings the high ideals of humanism that unite people regardless of their nationality, language and religion.

- Music as a phenomenon of art has great opportunities for harmonious education of the younger generation. Young people involved in art begin to have a different attitude to life, respect national and universal values, the President said.

Speaking also with a speech, the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azule, noted that Samarkand personifies the power of the great state of Amir Temur, and the Registan square reflects the heyday of Mirzo Ulugbek. This heritage has attracted scientists, artisans, and artists for centuries. The distinguished guest emphasized that the preservation of the universal heritage, the development of musical art as a universal language of intercultural dialogue is part of UNESCO’s tasks, and the organization seeks to develop full-scale cooperation with Uzbekistan in this direction.

The ceremony was also attended by officials and honored guests from the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Bangladesh, Poland, Belarus, Japan, South Korea, Great Britain and other countries.

This year’s festival is attended by 340 artists from 75 countries. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called them true devotees of art, ambassadors of peace and friendship.

Within the framework of the festival, an international scientific and practical conference "Prospects for the development of traditional musical art of the peoples of the East" was held.