Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The 23rd annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club was held in Istra, Moscow Region, from 28 September to 1 October 2026 under the theme “Responsibility for the Future: Limits of the Possible or Possibilities Without Limits?”
Akramjon Nematov, First Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan, took part in the meeting.
The forum brought together 120 participants from 40 countries. Alongside Russian experts, the meeting was attended by representatives of China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, European countries, North and South America, Africa and Southeast Asia.
The agenda covered a broad range of issues related to contemporary global development. The club’s annual report, “No Panic: The State and Responsibility for the Future,” was presented at the opening.
As part of the meeting, participants held meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation Maxim Oreshkin. The concluding event was a separate plenary session attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
One of the central themes of the discussions was the profound transformation of the global system driven by several interconnected processes.
On the one hand, rapid technological development, digitalisation and artificial intelligence are changing the economy, labour market, security system and the structure of societies themselves.
On the other hand, climate change, demographic shifts, migration and pandemic risks are creating new long-term challenges whose consequences extend far beyond national borders.
Against this backdrop, a more complex polycentric and multipolar world order is taking shape.
New centres of economic and political development are emerging, while the role of Asia, Africa and other regions is growing. Alongside major powers, interconnected and sustainable regional spaces capable of shaping their own agendas and building broad networks of external ties are becoming increasingly important. These processes are accompanied by greater competition and uncertainty, while at the same time creating new opportunities for countries and regions.
Amid the combination of multiple crises and new opportunities, participants stressed the importance of state responsibility, respect for sovereignty and national interests, strengthening trust and seeking mutually acceptable solutions. They noted that the response to a more complex world should not be isolation or uncontrolled rivalry, but dialogue, cooperation and the ability to reach agreements despite differences.
In this context, participants highlighted the need to adapt international institutions to the changing balance of power and the growing diversity of the world, increase their representativeness and take fuller account of the interests of emerging centres of development. At the same time, technological, climate, demographic and other transboundary challenges demonstrate that sustainable development and global stability require joint solutions even amid intensifying competition.
Particular interest was generated by the session “What Sun Will Rise in the East? A Portrait of a World Centred on Asia.” The discussion highlighted the continuing shift of economic activity towards the broader Asian space. The Pacific and Indian Ocean region was described as one of the main drivers of global economic development and one of the key arenas for processes that will shape international dynamics in the coming decades.
The discussion did not focus on the emergence of a single new centre of power in Asia, but rather on the formation of a complex network of interconnected centres of growth, trade, technology and transport connectivity. In such a space, particular importance is attached to countries and regions capable of connecting different parts of the continent and creating conditions for interaction between them.
In this regard, the growing importance of Central Asia was highlighted. Participants noted that the region had undergone significant internal transformation in recent years. A period when its development was largely shaped by unresolved border issues, limited connectivity and a lack of mutual trust is giving way to a stage of joint development, expanding economic cooperation and stronger regional interconnectedness.
Commenting on the outcome of the meeting, Nematov said: “Against the backdrop of the changes taking place in the world, Central Asia is demonstrating fundamentally new dynamics. The era when the region was primarily associated with contradictions and unresolved issues is becoming a thing of the past. Today, a space for joint development is taking shape, with growing mutual trust, expanding economic ties and an increasing number of common projects and long-term interests.”
The ISRS representative stressed that Central Asia is gradually becoming more prominent within the emerging Asian space.
“Geographically, our region is at the centre of important routes connecting East and South Asia, Europe, Russia, the Caucasus and the Middle East.
“But today, Central Asia’s importance is determined not only by its location. Growing internal connectivity is enabling the region to increasingly serve as one of the important hubs of Eurasia — a space through which transport corridors, trade flows, energy, investment and humanitarian ties can pass.”
According to Nematov, the experience of recent years is gaining broader significance amid global turbulence.
“The emerging polycentric world will objectively consist not only of major powers.
“Increasingly, sustainable regions capable of independently determining their priorities, reaching agreements among themselves and simultaneously building broad systems of external relations will play a role.
“Central Asia is demonstrating precisely such a model today — not through confrontation with anyone, but by strengthening its own interconnectedness, seeking mutually acceptable compromises and turning common interests into concrete projects.”
He said this was also one of the defining features of the new stage of regional development.
“Today, cooperation in Central Asia already has its own internal momentum.
“The resolution of complex issues in recent years has demonstrated the ability of the countries of the region to find mutually acceptable solutions based on long-term interests. As a result, Central Asia is evolving from a space often viewed primarily through the prism of risks and contradictions into a space of opportunities and joint development.”
Nematov noted that these processes are of particular importance for Uzbekistan.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s consistent policy of strengthening good-neighbourly relations, mutual trust and economic interconnectedness is contributing not only to the development of bilateral relations but also to the greater agency of Central Asia as a whole.
During the Valdai Discussion Club meeting, Nematov also held a number of meetings with representatives of foreign analytical, academic and research centres.
The participants exchanged views on key trends in international and regional development, the prospects for Central Asia, the expansion of transport and economic connectivity, and further development of expert cooperation.
Following the meetings, prospective areas of cooperation were identified, new professional contacts were established, and agreements were reached to continue joint expert and analytical work and develop new projects.
