GCRF COMPASS UWED International Conference “Uzbekistan in the Context of Regional Security and Global Changes”

(Tashkent, 7-8 November 2019 hotel “Miran International”)

This signature conference was organized by the University of World Economy & Diplomacy, Uzbekistan, under the aegis of the GCRF COMPASS project, led by the University of Kent (UK) in partnership  with the University of Cambridge (UK), ADA University (Azerbaijan), Belarusian State University (Belarus),  and Tajik National University (Tajikistan). It attracted over 30 international experts including from the UK, USA, Russia, China, Belarus, Spain, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

The GCRF COMPASS project (ES/P010849/1) (https://research.kent.ac.uk/gcrf-compass/) is the UK government capacity-building initiative,  led by University of Kent in partnership with Cambridge. It seeks to establish ‘the hubs of excellence’ in research integration, impact governance, and sustainable communities at the top-level HEIs in Belarus, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The GCRF COMPASS project is headed by Professor Elena Korosteleva (Principal Investigator, University of Kent) and Dr Siddharth Saxena (Co-Investigator, University of Cambridge).

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan has become an important player in determining the trends and nature of the development of political processes in Central Asia. Its position on the regional agenda largely ensures peace and stability in Central Asia. Uzbekistan has resisted the radicalization of religious ideology, helped maintain a secular system of control, and even restored the traditional foundations of Islam after independence.

This progress is important and helps to counter security threats in the region. The political course of the President of Uzbekistan Sh.M. Mirziyoyev is aimed at radical renewal and strengthening of the region's positions in the world-political processes. Strengthening the activities of States in this direction requires improving the existing political and economic potential and finding ways to optimize approaches, which will be the Central topics of expert discussions of the current conference.

The conference discussed the importance and directions of further transformation of the region as a whole, and Uzbekistan in particular. The initiated reforms have made the Republic more open, effective and competitive in the international arena. Uzbekistan's efforts to maintain moderate Islam and its contemporary cultural and ideological significance send an important message to a region that extends far beyond its current borders. In turn, the Republic's foreign policy initiatives have created a climate of trust and good-neighborhood in Central Asia, and serious efforts are being made to ensure conditions for peace talks between the Afghan government and the opposition.

The formation of Central Asia as a highly developed center of transcontinental trade and technology is of key importance for the future of Afghanistan and the adjacent regions of South Asia and the Middle East. In the long term, the establishment of an open and credible region of secular and sustainable States at the heart of the Eurasian continent will play an important role in international efforts to preserve peace on a global scale.

The following topics and issues were discussed at the conference:

• Rethinking the regional policy of Tashkent, the new atmosphere and dynamics in relations with the nearest neighbors;
• The impact of this constructive process not only on the strengthening of regional security and development, but also on the entire architecture of international security;
• Deepening reforms in Uzbekistan and its reflection on the nature of international relations in Central Asia, the impact on the stability and security Of greater Eurasia;
• Relations of trust and mutual understanding in solving common regional problems
• The interest of the world community in an open and regionally and globally integrated Uzbekistan;
• Sustainable interaction of world power centers with Uzbekistan as the most optimal model of relations;
• Promotion of large-scale international infrastructure projects in Central Asia, which create new opportunities and prospects for the stability of the regional security system.

This conference contributed to the development of a constructive international agenda that considers the national interests of the regional states in confronting a whole range of regional challenges and problems. It is vital to understand and trace the relationship between the new strategic situation in Central Asia and its impact on international processes, outlining its constructive potential and prospects for development.