Cooperation on international and regional level is vital to combat terrorism, Uzbek President Islam Karimov told the Uzbek Parliament on 29 April.

His speech conveys the message that in contemporary difficult situation, when international terrorist forces are being regrouped, taken more insidious and violent methods, the reality requires international community including countries of Central Asian region to strengthen cooperation and unite efforts to strike a blow to all forms of terrorism. Doing that it is important to coordinate actions in order to prevent any infringements and terrorist attacks.

He said, ?it was necessary to interact with the world community, and first of all with countries of our region in the struggle against international terrorism?.

The President expressed his disappointment that in many cases, programs and decisions adopted and agreements signed in this matter remained on paper.

In his speech before MPs the President once more paid his tribute to the memories of those died as a result of terrorist acts that took place in Tashkent and Bukhara. Series of suicide bombings committed in March and April this year killed 14 innocent people including nine police officers. He firmly stated that there was a link between those actions and international terrorism. ?At the moment, based on investigation materials I can tell one thing for sure: the roots of rather thoroughly prepared criminal acts are now directly leading out to external centers of international terrorism and extremism?, he said.

Islam Karimov stressed that the ultimate goal of terrorists was to spoil peace and tranquility dominant in Uzbekistan. ?By sowing panic and fear in the hearts of our people, they aim to make our people lose their faith in future, set one against another, as well as move forward their interests and policies in our country and region? he added.

In a bid to achieve their goals they try to divert the minds of people, and above all, of those simple-natured, lacking knowledge and life experience, according to President. ?These ill-intended forces dispose the well-elaborated, well-financed, and long-term programs and outlines, and also the most updated technical means and capabilities?. In this regard, the President dwelled on the policy of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, a political-religious movement that calls all Muslim countries to unite in a single Islamic state of medieval nature to be called Khalifat and described the idea of clustering the Muslim countries under single leadership as being totally absurd and mythical.

?Indeed, we all know that the wheel of history can not be reversed. From this point of view the idea of establishment of a Caliphate that would unite the Muslim countries is a futile dream, an incomprehensible legend?, he underlined.

When the religious movements such as ?Hizb-ut-Tahrir? carry out their propaganda work among population, and recruit to their ranks, above all, the youth, they usually portray themselves harmless and naive, promoters of justice. However, the experience reveals ? once they gain strength, they expose their true selves.

Such movements serves to nourish the ground for training militants out of its ranks to switch to violence and application of force when the time is right to spoil the tranquil life, sow panic and carry out explosions, and shed blood to overthrow the legitimate state and legal administration, he said.

Concluding his views on terrorism and religious extremism, President Karimov stressed that the most important task in combating ideology of extremism and terrorism was consistent and deeply elaborated educational activity among the population especially among the youth.

?We need to explain the very essence of what the religious extremism is all about, the real goals of those religious extremist streams, and the harm that they do to our country and people, to our holy religion,? President said.

He also expressed his firm belief that whatever the difficulty or obstacle was, the Uzbek people had necessary vigor and resources to achieve its goals