: Regular contacts between the heads of the two countries serve as a powerful catalyst for the development of relations between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

The International Institute of Central Asia (IICA) hosted an international scientific and practical conference on the topic "Priorities for peaceful and sustainable Development of Central Asia: Approaches of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan".

 

The conference was organized by IICA, the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Scientific Center for Strategic Studies at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

The main purpose of the event was to discuss the current situation in Central Asia, identify key challenges and threats to the stable development of the two states and the region as a whole, as well as to develop concrete proposals for building policy in new conditions and strengthening regional dialogue and cooperation.

The Conference created a platform for an open and constructive exchange of views between the expert, research and analytical communities of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan with the prospect of making it regular, and also contributed to the development of practical proposals for further intensification of cooperation in the field of security and sustainable development.

In the course of the conference, scientific and academic reports were heard, practical measures were outlined, appropriate recommendations were developed to enhance investment cooperation, as well as in the field of reforming the only five-sided platform that has no alternative and is extremely important for the whole of Central Asia - the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFSA).

During the discussions, participants of the conference analyzed in detail the state and prospects of mutually beneficial partnership between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in the political, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, the current climate situation in the region and its negative impact on the sustainable development of our countries and Central Asia as a whole, identified priority issues that require attention, made proposals that will contribute to improve the water management and environmental situation on the territory of all Central Asian states.

In his welcoming speech, the Director of IICA Anvar Nasirov noted that issues related to the sustainable development of states are among the main priorities of the world community and each country individually. This topic is extremely relevant for the countries of Central Asia, located in the heart of the continent and acting as a bridge between Europe and the Middle East, South and East Asia:

"Thanks to the political will of the leaders of the Central Asian states, the political climate in the region has changed dramatically in recent years, which has become a condition for progress on many issues that have hindered the development of the region for a long time," the head of the IICA said. – Moreover, investment cooperation has intensified, the implementation of significant cooperation projects in trade, industry, energy, transport, agriculture and other sectors of the economy has begun.

In his opening remarks, Rector of the IIR of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Jumamyrat Gurbangeldiyev rated high the current state of Turkmen-Uzbek relations.

"Fraternal relations between the two countries, which have been formed over the centuries, are a solid foundation for further strengthening of relations between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan," the Rector of the IIR MFA stressed. "This is especially important in the context of maintaining peace and stability in the entire region."

He noted that in order to overcome the negative consequences of the pandemic, the global economic crisis, as well as the instability of the global security architecture and regional instability, the Central Asian countries need to develop regional approaches to countering new challenges and threats.

Director of SAMUHR Shiri Shiriev (Ambassador to Uzbekistan in 2012-2018) stressed that regular contacts between the heads of the two countries serve as a powerful catalyst for the development of relations between the countries.

"Thanks to the efforts of the leaders of the two states, the long–standing fraternal and good-neighborly ties of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have reached a new quality level, and in this regard, the signing of a Strategic partnership Agreement between the countries is very logical and consistent," the director of the SAMUHR stressed.

 

Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan Yazguly Mammadov stressed that maintaining close contacts between the leaders of the two countries, as well as interaction within the framework of Consultative Meetings of the heads of Central Asian states contribute to the comprehensive strengthening of ties between the two countries.

 

The Head of the Department of International Economics of IIR, Perkhat Charyev, paid attention to the development of the transport and transit potential of Turkmenistan.

He pointed to Turkmenistan's readiness to develop transport cooperation with Uzbekistan, which will ensure the country's access to seaports and new trade markets.

He called the Agreement signed in 2011 on the establishment of the Uzbekistan–Turkmenistan–Iran–Oman–Qatar International Transport and Transit Corridor (the Ashgabat Agreement) an important basis for this.

 

Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy Etibor Sultanova stressed that at present the world is in a very difficult condition, when a new multipolar world is being formed, new unknown factors are entering the political arena. Along with new challenges, new opportunities are appearing. Mutual relations, in particular, between the countries of Central Asia, are becoming more and more in demand. As noted by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sh. Mirziyoyev: "We are aware that interconnectedness, cooperation, dialogue and, most importantly, trust are the main driving force for ensuring stability and sustainable development, improving the standard of living and well-being of people."

Bunyod Tillakhudjaev, Chief Specialist of the Development Strategy Center, noted that Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan pay great attention to the development of youth, creating a legal framework for this and taking practical measures. In particular, both countries have laws "On State youth policy", specialized institutions are functioning, and a number of projects are being implemented to support the younger generation. In Uzbekistan, ensuring the legitimate rights and interests of young people is a priority of state policy and is always at the center of attention. In recent years, a number of legal acts (laws, decrees, presidential decrees and government decisions) concerning youth have been adopted. The State Prize "Mard o’g’lon" and the state award "Kelajak bunyodkori" were established. The Concept of development of the state youth policy in Uzbekistan until 2025 and the “roadmap” for its implementation have been adopted.

At the end of the event, the participants noted the relevance of the exchange of views on the most problematic environmental issues in Central Asia. Representatives of academic structures agreed to continue close contacts in a similar format.