Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The Uzbek-Russian Media Forum was held in Tashkent, bringing together prominent media representatives, heads of media organisations, cultural figures, theatre and film professionals, museum representatives, creative industry participants and experts from both countries.
The forum covered a broad range of practical issues, including changes in the modern media environment, the development of digital platforms, new technologies, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, joint content production and the role of media and cultural institutions in strengthening relations between Uzbekistan and Russia.
Akramjon Ne'matov, First Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan, moderated a session titled "National Cultural Code in the Media: Harmonising Traditional Values with a Vision for the Future".
He said the current level of comprehensive strategic partnership and alliance between the two countries required not only broader practical cooperation but also stronger public foundations based on trust and mutual understanding.
According to Ne'matov, deep knowledge of each other's national cultural codes, above all respect for them, was essential to building such trust.
He stressed that a cultural code was not a static collection of traditions and symbols. It evolved alongside society and acquired new meanings while retaining the core values that shape a people's identity, way of thinking and attitude towards the world.
These values include historical memory, language, lifestyle, attitudes towards family, older generations, work, knowledge, human dignity, mutual assistance and good-neighbourly relations.
Ne'matov said the cultural codes of Uzbekistan and Russia were not identical but shared many fundamental values.
This provided a solid basis for pragmatic and meaningful dialogue, in which the aim should not be to erase differences but to understand and respect each other's national identity.
He also highlighted the importance of preserving and promoting traditional values that support social stability, strengthen ties between generations and serve as important spiritual bonds within society.
"The more deeply our societies know and understand each other's cultural codes, the stronger mutual trust becomes and the more resilient relations between our countries are," Ne'matov said.
