11 January 2010
19:03 - Uzbekistan to apply biometric passport in 2011
Uzbekistan postponed introduction of passports of the Uzbek citizens with biometric data of the owner for a year to 2011.

Uzbek President Islam Karimov signed a decree on introduction of terms of stage-by-stage exchange of existing passports of population to biometric passports on 29 December 2009.

Under the decree, biometric passports will be introduced in Uzbekistan from Jan.1, 2011.

Earlier, the government planned to start first stage of biometric passports introduction from 1 January 2010. In the first stage, employees of ministries and state bodies of Uzbekistan and individuals, traveling abroad, as well as citizens, who are receiving new passports, will get biometric passports.

All Uzbek citizens will receive new passports in the second stage (2012-2015).

Uzbekistan will introduce biometric passports to ensure security of international civic aviation, improve protection of passports from falsification, improve mechanism on timely and clear identification of person identity, passing border, improving quality and efficiency of international air transportation. // Trend News Agency