Uzbekistan in the Architecture of Global Peace: From Regional Stability to International Peacekeeping

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 19 February 2026, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the first Summit of the Board of Peace, held in Washington at the initiative of US President Donald Trump.

Speaking at the Summit, the head of our state outlined Uzbekistan's fundamental approaches to resolving the situation in the Gaza Strip, based on the conviction that genuine peace cannot be built on political agreements alone; it must have an economic foundation.

According to the President of Uzbekistan, the Board's work will help create a favorable environment for the economic and social recovery of the Gaza Strip.

This thesis reflects the consistent philosophy of Uzbek diplomacy, in which development serves as a tool for stabilization, and investment and employment serve as an alternative to radicalism. Uzbekistan's own experience, which, in a short period of time, through a policy of reform and openness, has managed to lead the region from isolation to sustainable growth, lends a significant practical dimension to this position.

At the same time, Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized that any mechanism for external governance of Gaza must necessarily rely on the internal support of the Strip's population. This is a fundamentally important emphasis—it demonstrates that Tashkent views post-conflict resolution not as an externally imposed construct, but as a process rooted in the life of society itself.

Peace deprived of internal legitimacy inevitably remains fragile. This is why the Uzbek side believes that the reconstruction of Gaza must begin with restoring trust between people–and only then take on institutional and infrastructural forms.

The President specifically addressed the issue of consolidating international support, noting that coordinated efforts by all parties will ensure the sustainability of the post-conflict process and create conditions for the rapid recovery of Gaza. Numerous initiatives are currently underway around Gaza—humanitarian, infrastructural, and political. However, the fragmentation of these efforts could turn good intentions into a source of further instability.

In this regard, Uzbekistan consistently advocates for all reconstruction programs and projects to complement each other rather than compete. Only coordinated actions by all parties can ensure the sustainability of the post-conflict process and create the conditions for a genuine, rather than temporary, revival of the region.

It is significant that Uzbekistan's position is supported not only by rhetoric but also by real experience in participating in reconstruction efforts – in Karabakh and Hatay, Turkiye, following the devastating earthquake of 2023. Based on this experience, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev declared Uzbekistan's readiness to contribute to the construction of residential buildings, kindergartens, schools, and hospitals in the Gaza Strip. This statement is based on an established model: Uzbekistan comes not with empty declarations, but with concrete competencies and resources, transforming humanitarian responsibility into a tool for real diplomacy.

Commenting on Uzbekistan's participation in the first meeting of the Board of Peace, it should be noted that this event is not a routine diplomatic visit, but a logical manifestation of the role Uzbekistan has been consistently building in international affairs over the past few years.

Tashkent's invitation as one of the founding states of this structure was a recognition of a fundamental position: our country is not simply a regional player maintaining peace in Central Asia, but also a responsible participant in global peacekeeping and stabilization processes.

Uzbekistan's participation in the Board of Peace is no accident. It reflects a fundamental choice in favor of dialogue, good-neighborliness, and constructive interaction—a choice made after 2016 and consistently implemented since then both in domestic policy and on the international stage.

It is in this context that it is important to consider Uzbekistan's contribution to regional stability and its growing presence in global peacekeeping forums.

First, it's necessary to acknowledge the fundamental role Uzbekistan has played in transforming the very face of Central Asia.

Just a decade and a half ago, the region was perceived by international experts as a space with a high potential for conflict: unresolved border disputes, acute contradictions over water use, closed borders, and frozen trade created a picture of chronic instability.

Today, this image is irrevocably a thing of the past. Thanks to the political consolidation of Central Asian leaders and Uzbekistan's active, open diplomacy, confrontation has been replaced by cooperation and mutual trust. Regional trade has increased fivefold, mutual investment has doubled, and interconnectedness has reached a historically high level.

A symbolic symbol of these changes was the signing of the Treaty on the Junction Point of State Borders in Khujand—a document that enshrined a firm political commitment to transform state borders from lines of potential conflict into zones of peace, stability, and joint development. The resolution of border issues opened up new prospects for trade and economic cooperation, the development of transport corridors, and industrial collaboration, particularly for the dynamically developing Fergana Valley. It was this practice of peacefully resolving seemingly intractable problems that earned Uzbekistan a reputation as a state capable of making a constructive contribution to resolving complex international situations.

Secondly, Tashkent's peacekeeping agenda has long since expanded beyond Central Asia, encompassing the broader Eurasian region.

Uzbekistan is purposefully building an infrastructure of connectivity between Central and South Asia, viewing it as a key factor in long-term stability. Constructive relations with Afghanistan and active participation in the development of transport and logistics corridors reflect Tashkent's firm belief that lasting stability is born not from contractual obligations, but from genuine interdependence – in trade, transport, and human terms.

This same logic is embodied in the joint project with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to build a "green" energy corridor for the export of renewable energy to Europe, agreements for which were signed in late 2024.

This initiative is shaping a new architecture of regional interdependence, in which maintaining stability and good-neighborliness becomes a shared economic interest, not just a political obligation.

Thirdly, Uzbekistan is increasingly asserting itself in global multilateral forums with specific peace initiatives.

At the country's initiative, the UN General Assembly adopted a number of significant resolutions, including documents on education and religious tolerance; on International Day in Memory of the Victims of Earthquakes; on strengthening ties between Central and South Asia; on ensuring peace and sustainable development in the Central Asian region; and on jointly countering the drug threat. Tashkent consistently promotes an agenda of dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation within the SCO, the OTS, and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

It is noteworthy that participation in the Board of Peace fits seamlessly with Tashkent's established tradition as a co-founder of international structures: the republic was one of the founders of the SCO and initiated the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia, while the constitutionally enshrined principles of multi-vector policy and peaceful dispute resolution create a solid legal basis for such participation.

In conclusion, it can be confidently stated that the first summit of the Board of Peace, attended by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, is a logical link in Uzbekistan's consistent efforts to create a space of stability and dialogue. The combination of its achieved regional transformation, a broad transnational agenda, and an active presence in global forums makes Uzbekistan a compelling example of a state for which peacekeeping is not a mere declaration, but a strategic choice.

Bakhtiyor Mustafaev,

Deputy Director of the Institute

for Strategic and Regional Studies

under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan