Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 28 August 2020, as part of the celebration of the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, an international online conference was held on the topic: “Helsinki + 45: Relevance of commitments at the present stage for all 57 OSCE participating States at example of Uzbekistan”.

The event was attended by a delegation led by the Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbaeva, heads of diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited in our country, the OSCE secretariat and institutions, members of the Parliament of Uzbekistan, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, law enforcement and judicial bodies, academic circles, NGOs, Mass media of RU.

The issues of the significance of the Helsinki Final Act, its relevance at the present stage and the prospects for the development of cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the OSCE were discussed.

The videoconference participants praised Uzbekistan’s efforts to fulfill its OSCE commitments, which are also reflected in the Action Strategy for 2017-2021.

John McGregor, OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan, emphasized the accelerated development of Uzbekistan over the past four years and the republic’s full implementation of its OSCE commitments. “Provisions of the Action Strategy for 2017-2021. completely coincide with the basic principles of the OSCE,” he said.

The head of the Department for the Organization and Conduct of the Albanian Chairmanship of the OSCE in 2020, Inid Milo, noted that over the past several years, there has been a positive trend in cooperation through the RU-OSCE. “We are ready to support further progress of Uzbekistan in all three dimensions,” she said.

The participants of the event focused on the radical transformation of the political atmosphere in Central Asia thanks, first of all, to the efforts of President Sh.M. Mirziyoyev. Acting OSCE Secretary General Tuula Yuryola emphasized the key role of Uzbekistan in ensuring stability in the region.

The conference also touched upon global and local problems that have arisen in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbaeva noted the importance of supporting vulnerable groups during the coronavirus pandemic, strengthening international cooperation in mitigating its consequences.

The conference participants were also informed about the initiative of Uzbekistan to adopt, under the auspices of the UN, the International Code of Voluntary Commitments of States during Pandemic Times.

As a result of the event, appropriate recommendations were developed aimed at strengthening further cooperation between Uzbekistan and the OSCE.