Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 3 June, the International Institute of Central Asia, together with the Center for Strategic Research under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, organized an international conference on the theme “New points of growth" for further expansion and strengthening of cooperation between the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.”

Representatives of the International Institute of Central Asia, the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and the Center for Economic Research and Reforms under the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan took part in the conference on behalf of the Uzbek side.

The Tajik side of the forum was the leadership and leading experts of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Center for Geopolitical Studies of the Russian-Tajik (Slavonic) University, the Institute of Language and Literature, the Institute of Philosophy, Political Science and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, the Tourism Development Committee under the Government Republic of Tajikistan.

Welcoming remarks were made by Khurshed Ziyoi - Director of the Center for Contemporary Arts, Anvar Nasirov - Director of MICA, Sodik Imomi - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Ergash Shaismatov - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Republic of Tajikistan.

During the conference, the current state and prospects of bilateral and multilateral Uzbek-Tajik cooperation, as well as "new points" for further expansion of interaction were discussed.

The reports presented gave a positive assessment of the current state of interaction between the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan in the political and diplomatic, trade and economic, investment, cultural and humanitarian spheres, and the field of security.

It was emphasized that the dynamics of relations in the region became possible thanks to the efforts of the Leaders of the two countries. The forthcoming visit of the President of Uzbekistan to Dushanbe on 11-12 June and the large package of documents preparing for signing, covering a wide range of issues, will open up opportunities for bringing Uzbek-Tajik relations to a qualitatively new level.

According to H. Ziyoi, 2018 has become a significant milestone in the history of relations between the Tajik and Uzbek peoples. In 2018, mutual state visits of the leaders of the two countries took place, within the framework of which a total of 53 bilateral documents were signed. The most significant of them is the Strategic Partnership Agreement, which raised the relationship between the two countries to a qualitatively new level in all areas of cooperation.

"The decisions made by the two leaders at these meetings, and the elevation of interstate interactions to a higher level, was a completely natural and logical result of huge positive changes in relations between two states and two peoples."

S. Imomi in his speech also noted that relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are dynamically developing today, there are successes in almost all spheres of interaction. This is an unprecedented level of trade, its growth in recent years by 5 times, constant contacts at the highest and other levels, effective work of the Intergovernmental Commission, regular business forums and exhibitions, cultural and humanitarian events, direct contacts at the level of departments, economic entities and regions.

At the same time, the main task, according to the Tajik diplomat, is to raise trade and economic cooperation to a qualitatively new level, which should serve as a solid basis, giving impetus for other areas of interaction. In this regard, Tajik-Uzbek relations have a huge unrealized potential that must be put to serve the peoples.

The established open and trusting dialogue between the Presidents of the two countries laid the foundation for strengthening the multifaceted Uzbek-Tajik partnership, and the results of these historical events are a solid foundation for the further implementation of the enormous potential of the parties across the entire spectrum of cooperation in political, trade, economic, transport and communication. cultural and humanitarian spheres.

The participants also expressed a number of specific, practical proposals for deepening ties between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the political-diplomatic, trade-economic, investment and cultural-humanitarian spheres, developed new non-standard approaches to strengthening bilateral cooperation.

At the end of the event, the ceremony of signing a Cooperation Agreement between the International Institute of Central Asia and the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan took place.

The conference of the International Institute of Central Asia, organized jointly with the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan at the level of expert and analytical circles, is being held for the first time. The parties agreed to give the interaction a regular character. This will be served by the signing of a Cooperation Agreement.