Samarkand and Dubrovnik Plan to Establish Partnership Ties

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — On the sidelines of the prestigious Dubrovnik Forum, an official meeting was held between the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Croatia (with residence in Budapest), Oybek Shakhavdinov, and the Mayor of Dubrovnik, Mato Franković.

During the negotiations, the sides substantively and comprehensively discussed promising vectors for the development of interregional interaction. The interlocutors focused their main attention on the initiative to establish direct sister-city and partnership ties between two historical gems of global tourism—the cities of Samarkand and Dubrovnik.

The diplomat and the city head emphasized that both municipalities possess a colossal cultural and historical heritage inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which creates a solid foundation for long-term humanitarian rapprochement. The activation of horizontal ties between the regions is intended to open new opportunities for diversifying contacts and to become an additional driver for strengthening the interstate dialogue between Tashkent and Zagreb.

As a practical outcome of the meeting, firm agreements were reached on the systematic deployment of practical interaction between Samarkand and Dubrovnik. The cooperation program for the near future provides for the organization and hosting of joint cultural and humanitarian festivals and exhibitions, the launch of mutual large-scale presentations of the unique tourism potential of both cities to attract travelers, and assistance in conducting regular exchange business missions.

The implementation of these steps will significantly expand direct contacts between the business circles of Uzbekistan and Croatia, stimulating investment and trade activity.