Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - A delegation of Uzbekistan, headed by the Chairman of the Senate Committee of the Oliy Majlis Alisher Kurmanov, with the assistance of the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Austria, met at the UN headquarters in Vienna with the UN Deputy Secretary General, Executive Director of the UN Office on drugs and crime (UNODC) Yury  Fedotov.

The UN Under-Secretary-General, welcoming the Uzbek delegation, noted with satisfaction the dynamically developing and strengthening UN partnership with Uzbekistan. It is emphasized that UNODC attaches great importance to deepening mutually beneficial cooperation with Uzbekistan in the fight against drug trafficking, transnational crime and international terrorism.

Mr. Fedotov warmly recalled the meeting with the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, held in November 2017 in Tashkent.

“2 years after the meeting with President Sh.M. Mirziyoyev, we note the enormous progress in our relations. In a record-breaking short time, the Road Map has been adopted and is being consistently implemented today to expand our practical interaction,” he noted.

The UN Deputy Secretary General highly appreciated the policy pursued by Sh.M. Mirziyoyev to ensure peace, stability and sustainable development in Central Asia, to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with the countries of the region based on the principles of good neighborliness, mutual understanding and consideration of each other's interests.

Yury Fedotov emphasized that thanks to the established effective cooperation and the intensification of joint efforts at the regional level, there has recently been a decrease in the increase in crime related to drug trafficking in Central Asia.

The head of UNODC supported the large-scale measures taken by Uzbekistan in the fight against corruption and money laundering. He expressed the readiness of UNODC to provide comprehensive assistance in the practical implementation of the state anti-corruption program for 2019-2020, approved by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan in May of this year.

In this context, Y. Fedotov welcomed the decision of Uzbekistan to send a delegation to participate in the 8th UN Conference of the countries participating in the Convention on Combating Corruption, which will be held from 16 to 20 December in the city of Abu Dhabi.

In addition, Y. Fedotov invited Uzbekistan to take part in the 14th UN Congress on Crime, which will be held from April 20 to 27, 2020 in Kyoto and will be devoted to strengthening the justice system and the rule of law, including through education and enlightenment.

At the end of the meeting, the parties reaffirmed their mutual readiness to develop long-term and systemic cooperation in countering modern global challenges and threats.