Parliament of Uzbekistan approved the candidature of Shavkat Mirziyayev to the post of the prime minister on Friday.

President Islam Karimov nominated Mirziyayev, who was prime minister since December 2003, to head the country?s government, at the joint session of the Legislative Chamber and the Senate of Oliy Majlis.

Explaining his choice, President Karimov said under the premiership of Shavkat Mirziyayev, the country achieved progress in socioeconomic development.

Mirziyayev was born in 1957 in Jizzakh region. He graduated from Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Mechanization of Agriculture. Prior to appointment to the post of the prime minister, he was head of administration of Samarkand region and earlier Jizzakh region.