INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has won a third term that will keep him in charge of the tightly controlled, gas-rich Central Asian state
until 2030, the electoral commission said on Monday.The 65-year-old has promised to open up Uzbekistan to foreign investment and tourism and
implement major reforms in Central Asia's most populous country.Mirziyoyev, who was running against three largely unknown candidates, won
Sunday's election with 87% of the vote, according to preliminary results.A former Soviet republic, Uzbekistan is strategically located
victory" on social media.The win "confirms your high political authority and points to the broad, popular support for your policy of
large-scale reforms," he wrote.The two also spoke on the phone and discussed their "strategic partnership."Chinese leader Xi Jinping also
congratulated Mirziyoyev in a phone call."Xi Jinping pointed out, in recent years, under our joint leadership, China-Uzbekistan relations
have achieved breakthrough development, and cooperation in various fields has been comprehensively strengthened," state broadcaster CCTV
said.Xi told Mirziyoyev he "very much cherishes the good working relationship and personal friendship with you," CCTV added.In May, Xi
hosted Mirziyoyev and other Central Asian leaders for a summit in the northern Chinese city of Xi'an.Mirziyoyev previously served as prime
minister under his hardline predecessor Islam Karimov before winning his first term in 2016 and getting re-elected in 2021.A constitutional
referendum this year paved the way for him to serve two more presidential terms and increased the mandate from five years to seven, meaning
he could stay in power until 2037.Mirziyoyev, who trained as an engineer, portrays himself as a reformer creating a "New Uzbekistan" and has
