UN Official Praises Uzbekistan’s Regional Dialogue Initiatives

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Kaha Imnadze, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, shared his views on the second Termez Dialogue on Connectivity between Central and South Asia, currently taking place in Tashkent.

“The Termez Dialogue is an important international platform for reaching agreements and developing practical cooperation.

The fact that this authoritative event is being held for the second time demonstrates that the initiative has become a sustainable and consistent process. The current meeting is an integral part of the broader policy of regional dialogue and cooperation being promoted at the initiative of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The Termez Dialogue can be viewed in the context of the Samarkand and Fergana dialogue platforms, which have been developing actively in recent years. All of these initiatives are interconnected and aimed at strengthening cooperation among neighboring states.

Although connectivity is the main theme of today’s dialogue, its even more important objective is to foster an atmosphere of trust. Trust is the key prerequisite for stability, peace, security and development. Such platforms play an important role in bringing peoples, societies and cultures closer together.

The peoples of Central and South Asia are united by a shared history and common civilizational roots. At a time when various conflicts and divisive trends are emerging around the world, the importance of dialogue platforms that help unite countries and peoples is becoming increasingly significant.

In this regard, I would once again like to congratulate Uzbekistan on this important initiative. It is particularly noteworthy that these platforms complement one another and create a unified space for constructive interaction,” Imnadze said.

The meeting is organized by the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan in partnership with the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

More than 150 representatives of political, business and expert communities, as well as international and regional organizations from Central and South Asia, Europe, the CIS, the South Caucasus, the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East and the Americas are taking part in the forum.

Partners and participants include the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, and leading think tanks, research institutions and peacebuilding organizations, including the International Water Management Institute, the Center for Progressive Reforms, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Berghof Foundation, PeaceNexus, Search for Common Ground, Georgetown University and other institutions.