The National Society of Uzbeks of Tajikistan has launched a campaign to collect signatures in support of the candidacies of the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev for the Nobel Peace Prize next year, Podrobno.uz reported with reference to the Gezitter.org publication.

The Chairman of the National Society of Uzbeks of Tajikistan Muharram Mirzoalieva noted that the initiative group has already contacted the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

“We were explained in detail the procedure for nominating candidates. The Norwegian Nobel Committee does not even consider the applications of the government agencies for the nomination of presidents as candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize. But if public organizations nominate the head of state, their application is considered in a mandatory manner”, Muharram Mirzoalieva said.

According to official data of the 2010 census, 926,000 Uzbeks live in Tajikistan, which is 12.5 percent of the country's population.