Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The International Institute of Central Asia organized an expert meeting on the topic "The contribution of representatives of the expert and analytical community of Central and South Asia to ensuring regional security", UzA reported.

The event took place within the framework of the High-Level International Conference “Regional Cooperation among the States of Central Asia in the framework of the Joint Action Plan (JAP) for the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy”.

The event was attended by heads and leading experts of analytical structures of Central and South Asia, including the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the National Institute for Strategic Studies of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Center for Strategic Studies under the President Republic of Tajikistan, Center for Geopolitical Studies (Tajikistan), Center for Strategic Studies at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Rashtriya Raksha University of India, Center for Global and Strategic Studies (Pakistan), Center for Regional Studies at Peshawar University, CABAR.asia, Institute for Strategic and interregional studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the International Institute of Central Asia.

It was emphasized that this meeting is the practical implementation of the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the creation of a permanent expert pool on the basis of MICA, put forward during the International Conference “Central and South Asia: Regional Interconnection. Challenges and Opportunities”, which was held on 16 July 2021 in Tashkent.

As part of their speeches, the experts noted the current security situation in Central and South Asia, identified key threats to the stable development of the regions.

Attention was drawn to the fact that in a short period of time the states of the region managed to bring cooperation to a fundamentally new level of interaction.

Significant achievements in strengthening cooperation at the Central Asian regional level, achieved thanks to the active policy of the new Uzbekistan, create favorable conditions for the development of interaction between Central and South Asia.

The need for a more active involvement of think tanks in the work on developing optimal ways to resolve existing issues and promote practical cooperation between states was emphasized.

As a result of the event, the experts reached an agreement that the Uzbek side, in cooperation with the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, will develop proposals for the creation and functioning of the above "expert pool" and send them for further approval to the participants of the event.

After studying and agreeing on these proposals, the experts will meet to exchange views on technical and substantive issues in order to make cooperation systemic.