Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - On 15 October 2021, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in an online meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of States. During the event, the leaders of the Commonwealth countries summed up the results of the past period, and also exchanged views on a wide range of issues.

The head of Uzbekistan, speaking at the meeting, also outlined promising and relevant areas in trade, industrial cooperation, tourism, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, regional security, etc., requiring the activation and expansion of multilateral interaction within the CIS.

In particular, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized the important role of close cultural and humanitarian ties in strengthening the traditional relations of friendship, good-neighborliness and mutual understanding between the peoples of the Commonwealth countries.

In this context, the head of our state separately noted the importance of the Forums of the creative and scientific intelligentsia of the CIS, which represent an important platform for discussing a wide range of issues and new initiatives in the field of cultural and humanitarian interaction of the participating countries.

Next year, the next XV Forum of the creative and scientific intelligentsia of the CIS countries is planned to be held in the capital of our state - Tashkent. In this regard, the head of Uzbekistan expressed the hope that a wide range of issues and initiatives will be discussed within the framework of the upcoming Forum, which will make it possible to develop practical solutions and recommendations aimed at developing ties in various fields of cultural and humanitarian activities.

According to experts, the Forums of the creative and scientific intelligentsia of the CIS countries are considered the largest humanitarian event in the Commonwealth space. As a rule, the work of the Forums includes various formats of interaction: plenary sessions of the Council for Humanitarian Cooperation and the Board of the CIS Interstate Fund, meetings of heads of humanitarian agencies of the CIS member states, discussion platforms, exhibitions, film screenings, etc.

In addition, the Forums are viewed as a unique opportunity for representatives of the cultural and scientific and educational circles of the CIS countries in the context of direct professional communication and support of urgent projects in the field of education, science, literature, fine arts and other areas of intercultural interaction.

Based on the results of the work of each Forum, a Resolution is adopted, in which the main directions of humanitarian interaction are formed, predictive scenarios for the development of processes in the cultural and humanitarian sphere are developed, recommendations are proposed on the most urgent areas of the integrated development of the Commonwealth.

It should be noted that each Forum has a specific theme or motto. Thus, the VII Forum of the creative and scientific intelligentsia of the CIS member states in 2012 (Ashgabat) was held on the topic “Strategy for the development of humanitarian cooperation between the CIS member states: directions and prospects”, the 2013 Forum (Minsk) was held under the sign of “Year ecological culture and environmental protection in the CIS ". The preliminary theme of the 15th Forum of the creative and scientific intelligentsia of the CIS countries, planned to be held in Tashkent, is “Humanitarian cooperation - thirty years experience and development prospects”.

Uzbekistan has significant experience in holding international festivals and forums such as "Sharq Taronalari", festivals of art "Bakhshi" and art "Makom", folk music "The Great Silk Road". This experience is recognized and appreciated by our partner countries. In this regard, it should be noted that the holding of the 15th Forum of creative and scientific intelligentsia of the CIS countries in Tashkent next year will be another step in deepening and expanding cultural and humanitarian cooperation in the CIS space. In turn, for Uzbekistan, this event will mark another milestone in its desire to actively support cultural dialogue within the Commonwealth.

Lobar Umarova, 

Chief Researcher

Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan