Utkir Sultanov

Utkir Tukhtamurodovich Sultanov (Uzbek: O'tkir Sultonov) was born on 14 July 1939 in Tashkent. In 1963 he graduated from Tomsk Polytechnic Institute as an electromechanical engineer and later became a candidate of technical sciences. In 2001 he was made an honorary professor of Tomsk Polytechnic University.

In 1963 he worked as an electrician at the Tomsk cutting-tool plant; in 1964–1985 he worked at the Chkalov Tashkent Aviation Production Association, rising from foreman to laboratory head, head of the combined design bureau, head of department, deputy chief engineer and deputy general director. In 1978–1979 he was on assignment in France. From 1985 to 1991 he was general director of Tashkent's Vostok production association, and he was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Uzbek SSR.

After independence he chaired the State Committee for Foreign Trade and Foreign Relations (1991–1992), became Minister of Foreign Economic Relations in February 1992 and served as Deputy Prime Minister under Abdulhashim Mutalov in 1992–1995; he was a co-founder of the People's Democratic Party of Uzbekistan.

From 21 December 1995 to December 2003 he was Prime Minister of Uzbekistan (the second to hold the post), and from May 1998 chaired the CIS Council of Heads of Government. From December 2003 to November 2006 he was Deputy Prime Minister, then adviser to the Prime Minister and general director of the Chkalov aviation association; he has been retired since January 2011.

He was awarded the Order «Mehnat shuhrati» (Labour Glory) and medals, and held the title of Honoured Engineer of Uzbekistan. He died in Tashkent on 29 November 2015, aged 76.