President Shavkat Mirziyoyev launched the National Dendrological Park project on the outskirts of Tashkent Wednesday, the presidential press service said.

Decorative trees were planted today on the first 5 hectares of the park, which will eventually span 108 hectares in the Kibray district of the Tashkent province, adjacent to the Tashkent State Agrarian University and Green University. Within a year, the site will host an in vitro laboratory, as well as centers for medicinal plants, seed production, and breeding, operating under the principle of "science–project–practice."

The press service of the National Committee for Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change said that a total of 3,000 saplings had been planted, including species such as elm, chestnut, birch, sycamore, oak, Japanese pagoda tree, forsythia, oriental thuja, tulip tree, and weeping willow.

In a simultaneous nationwide effort, 88,000 trees were planted across 164 hectares, with approximately 21,000 people participating in the massive campaign.

Speaking at the event, Shavkat Mirziyoyev recalled folk sayings such as "A garden remains from the righteous," "One sapling brings a thousand blessings," and "Plant a tree if a child is born or a wedding is held," emphasizing that these national values are more relevant today than ever.

He urged neighborhood (mahalla) chairs, the elderly, and active citizens to more broadly promote national customs and traditions by forming clubs and associations. He called on them to lead efforts in planting saplings and flowers on every street, in every home, along roads, and across meadows, the report stated.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev expressed his gratitude to those who participated in the planting, including Ismail Belen, Chair of the UN Forum on Forests; Juliette Biao, Director of the Forum Secretariat; members of the foreign diplomatic corps; and all other participants.