President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed a decree on 31 October on establishing a commemorative sign “O`zbekiston Respublikasi Qurolli Kuchlariga 20 yil” (20 years of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan).

The sign will be awarded to persons who made a significant contribution to the strengthening of the defense capacity of the state and construction of the Armed Forces, to the military who demonstrated high professionalism and faithfulness to their military and patriotic duty, including those retired or in reserve.

The sign will also be given to persons who participated in the military actions to protect the independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as the service people of the Armed Forces who received injuries or had died while executing their military and service duty.

The awarding of the sign is carried out on behalf of the President of Uzbekistan, who is the Supreme Commander in Chief of the country’s Armed Forces, UzA notes.