Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The Uzbek Embassy in Washington, together with the international non-governmental organization B’nai B’rith International, organized a webinar for members of this association.

The event was attended by about 500 participants from the socio-political, cultural, humanitarian and business circles of the United States, Canada, Israel and European countries, Dunyo reported.

B’nai B’rith International, founded in 1843, is one of the most famous and oldest Jewish public organizations in the world. It has offices in 40 countries.

The participants of the event were provided with detailed information on the ongoing reforms in Uzbekistan in all sectors of the economy, efforts to combat the spread of coronavirus, current priorities in Uzbek-American and Uzbek-Israeli relations, as well as the essence and content of the neighborhood policy in the Central Asian region, including Afghan direction.

During the online conference, participants were thoroughly acquainted with practical achievements in the fight against coronavirus in Uzbekistan. The obvious effectiveness of the introduction of urgent quarantine measures throughout the country was emphasized, which ensured relatively low rates among those infected with cases and deaths.

Special attention is focused on the adoption by the country's leadership of extraordinary measures aimed at supporting business activity, as well as stimulating exports through the logistical and financial support by the state of domestic entrepreneurs.

Dan Mariashn, President of B’nai B’rith International, who moderated the webinar, emphasized that Uzbekistan plays a vital role in Central Asian regional politics, being the only country that has common borders with all countries of the region and Afghanistan.

“B’nai B’rith International” highly appreciates the geopolitical role of Uzbekistan in the region, which is essentially a guarantor of regional security and a key country in the fight against terrorism,” he emphasized.

As noted by the American side, our country “has always served as a center of attraction on the legendary Silk Road, and the historical city of Bukhara was not only a vibrant shopping center in the Eurasian continent, but also a place where the Jewish population has lived side by side with the Uzbek people for many centuries. "

The Jewish community expressed sincere gratitude to the Uzbek people, who received hundreds of thousands of refugees during the Second World War and sheltered them as their close relatives. “The shown generosity and mercy of the Uzbek people will never be forgotten,” the participants noted.

The American side highly appreciated the growth in foreign trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which amounted to 26.2% (US$42.2 billion) in 2019. It was emphasized that trade in the region is steadily increasing.

During a separate Q&A session, a foreign audience showed interest in the prospects for the development of alternative energy in the republic, as well as in cooperation with leading countries in this field. It is noted that Uzbekistan is taking comprehensive measures to significantly reduce the share of untreated natural resources in domestic exports, paying particular attention to their deep processing within the country and the promotion of goods with high added value abroad. Separately, it was noted about the efforts of our government to reduce the share of natural gas in the energy sector, gradually expanding the use of alternative energy sources.

In addition, the audience was informed about the sustainable development of the tourism industry of the republic, the volume of which has tripled over the past 3 years, turning into a strategic industry in the national economy.

In general, the holding of this event made it possible to familiarize the general public of the United States and representatives of more than 20 countries about the ongoing large-scale transformations in the republic, foreign policy, and the country's historical and cultural heritage.