“Under your leadership over a quarter of the century the country has passed quite a long path of socio-economic development, has substantively bolstered its positions on the international arena,” the patriarch said in an address cited by his press service on Thursday.
The patriarch said that mainly thanks to Karimov’s “careful attention and principled position” the republic’s traditional religious communities are maintaining a constructive dialogue.
“I am grateful to you for the willingness to cooperate with the Tashkent and Uzbek Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. I express hope that this good cooperation will further facilitate the strengthening of eternal spiritual and moral values, instilment of the ideals of peace and accord in society,” the letter said.
The Uzbek media had earlier distributed the republic’s Cabinet of Ministers’ statement that Karimov is undergoing an inpatient treatment.
