Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev sent Vladimir Putin congratulations on the holding of elections to Russia’s State Duma. In the letter, the contents of which were relayed by the president’s press secretary Sherzod Asadov on September 21, Mirziyoyev described the elections as a demonstration of the “high political culture and civic consolidation of Russian society,” while calling the results evidence of the “high level of trust and unconditional support” by Russian citizens for the course pursued under Putin’s leadership.
Russia’s parliamentary elections were held from September 18 to 20 and were the first State Duma elections since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ten parties took part in the federal party-list vote. The liberal Yabloko party, which opposed the war, was barred from the federal ballot following a ruling by Russia’s Supreme Court, although some of its candidates continued to run in single-member districts.
According to preliminary election results, United Russia received about 57.8% of the vote on the federal party list, up from 49.8% in the previous election. Including victories in single-member districts, it won 355 of the 450 seats in the State Duma, retaining a constitutional majority. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation received 13.79% and 40 seats, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia 9.01% and 25 seats, and New People 7.97% and 20 seats. A Just Russia — For Truth received 4.97% of the federal vote but won four seats through victories in single-member districts. Overall turnout was 59.32%.
The turnout, which Mirziyoyev’s letter described as record-high, was indeed higher than at the previous State Duma election. Turnout in the 2021 election was 51.72%, below the 2026 figure. At the same time, Russian authorities, as in previous elections, used three-day voting and remote electronic voting; turnout among registered users of the federal electronic voting system reached 90.87%.
The latest elections were held amid significantly restricted political competition. Reuters reported before voting began that most anti-war candidates were unable to participate and that the political system remained tightly controlled. President Putin himself presented the vote as an indicator of support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Voting was also held in territories of Ukraine that Russia claimed as its own after the start of the full-scale war. Ukraine called the holding of Russian elections there illegal.
Against this backdrop, the Uzbek president’s statement that the election results demonstrated “unconditional support” for Russia’s political course goes beyond a conventional protocol congratulation on the holding of elections. Mirziyoyev did not limit his message to wishes for Putin and the Russian people, but positively assessed the character of the vote and interpreted its results as confirmation of support for the Kremlin’s course.
“The record-high turnout and the voting results were described as evidence of the high level of trust and unconditional support by Russian citizens for the strategic course pursued under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin, aimed at continuing the country’s socio-economic development and protecting national interests,” the letter from Mirziyoyev to Putin, as relayed by Asadov, says.
The congratulatory message also focused on relations between Moscow and Tashkent. Mirziyoyev described their development as having “unprecedented” momentum and emphasized the importance of interparliamentary ties for implementing bilateral projects and programs.
This is consistent with the direction of relations in recent months. During Mirziyoyev’s meeting with Putin in Bishkek in August, the two sides again spoke of developing a “comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance.” According to the Uzbek side, bilateral trade had increased by 12% since the beginning of 2026 by that time, while major projects in industry, energy, metallurgy and transport were continuing.
As Yep.uz has reported, the economic component of the relationship remains significant. Russia remains the largest destination for Uzbek exports, at $2.37 billion. In the first half of 2026, total trade between Uzbekistan and Russia amounted to $7.01 billion.
Russia also remains the largest source of remittances to Uzbekistan. In the first quarter of 2026, it accounted for 72.4% of all remittances, or about $2.75 billion out of $3.8 billion. By comparison, Kazakhstan and South Korea each accounted for 4.1%, while European countries accounted for 3.3%.
Mirziyoyev’s congratulation to Putin on the elections therefore came against the backdrop of expanding economic and political ties between Tashkent and Moscow. At the same time, the wording of Mirziyoyev’s message goes beyond bilateral cooperation: the Uzbek president effectively echoes the Russian interpretation of the election results as confirmation of support for the current political course.
Photo: Shavkat Mirziyoyev welcomes Vladimir Putin at Tashkent airport, May 26, 2024
More Yep.uz coverage on the topic:
- Putin, Xi and Trump top the list: What Independence Day congratulations say about Uzbekistan’s foreign policy
- China strengthens its lead as deficit widens: what Uzbekistan’s foreign trade reveals in the first half of 2026
- Uzbekistan received $3.8 billion in remittances in a quarter as dependence on Russia remains high
