Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 2-4 July, a parliamentary delegation of Uzbekistan, consisting of the First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sodik Safoev and the Chairman of the Legislative Chamber Committee on International Affairs and Inter-Parliamentary Relations Dilora Fayziyeva, took part in the summer session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, held in the British city of Birmingham.

In his speech, the head of the delegation of Uzbekistan drew the attention of the forum participants to the problems in the Aral Sea area, large-scale measures taken by the government of Uzbekistan to ensure the socio-economic development of the region, highlighted the initiatives of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to attract international organizations to solve acute environmental problems in Central Asia.

In addition, together with the delegation of Kazakhstan, a joint statement on the Aral Sea problem was circulated in the official languages of the OSCE. The Uzbek side also put forward an initiative to launch a new project of the UN World Health Organization aimed at developing a new methodology for the healthcare system and providing medical care to the population of the Aral Sea region. The country’s application for organizing the autumn session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Uzbekistan in 2023 has been reaffirmed.

The delegation also took part in the meetings of the Standing Committee and three general committees of the OSCE PA - on political issues and security, on economic issues, science, technology and the environment, as well as on democracy, human rights and humanitarian issues.

The forum participants supported the Uzbek-Kazakhstani resolution “Implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals of the OSCE”, which contains specific recommendations in the field of implementing the SDGs, increasing inclusiveness and ensuring gender equality, integrating the goals into national mechanisms, processes and structures.

For the first time in the framework of the OSCE PA, the adoption of a resolution jointly initiated by the two countries of Central Asia - Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan - reflects the new reality in the region, which has arisen due to the renewed foreign policy pursued by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

On the sidelines of the event, a number of meetings were also held - with OSCE PA Chairwoman Margareta Söderfelt, OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella, OSCE PA Vice President, Special Representative for Central Asia Pia Kauma, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Lamberto Zannier, during which a high assessment was given to the efforts of Uzbekistan in the field of solving environmental problems, ensuring regional security and stability.

The OSCE leadership expressed its readiness to send a delegation of observers to Uzbekistan for a referendum on constitutional reform.