Uzbek president names Abdulla Aripov as PM

TASHKENT, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov continue to serve as the head of government during a session of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis (the lower house of the parliament), the president's press secretary said Wednesday.

"Our new Uzbekistan, along with the new parliament, is entering a decisive stage of its development," the president said, adding that the government must organize its activities on an entirely new basis, which requires a strong leader.

He expressed confidence that the candidate would be able to effectively organize the Cabinet of Ministers to address the priority tasks facing the government and unite Cabinet members and heads of ministries and agencies to achieve common goals.

Aripov has been serving as the prime minister since December 2016.