TASHKENT, Uzbekistan

On 17-18 August, Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, accompanied by Kaha Imnadze, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Central Asia, Head of the UNRCCA, visited Tashkent and met with H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan; H.E. Tanzila Narbaeva, Chairperson of the Senate; H.E. Bakhtiyor Saidov, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other prominent Uzbek interlocutors. Furthermore, the meetings were held with the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, civil society representatives and the UN country team.

Discussions focused on cooperation between the UN, in particular UNRCCA, and Uzbekistan, to address challenges related to climate change, transboundary water management, prevention of terrorism and extremism, promotion of connectivity, the situation in Afghanistan and other areas relevant to peace, security and development.

Support was expressed to UNRCCA activities to address water/security nexus and to reinforce regional counter-terrorism efforts. The high-level officials also welcomed the expansion of activities to involve more women and youth in preventive diplomacy. These activities fully correspond to the priorities of Uzbekistan to strengthen the role of women in decision-making and to offer high-quality education and employment opportunities to young people.

As a significant milestone in regional cooperation, the President of Uzbekistan indicated the resumption of the Consultative Meetings of the Central Asian Leaders and the start of so called “Samarkand spirit” to promote stability and prosperity of the region, which was reflected in the Communiqué of the International Conference on Security and Sustainable Development in Central Asia, organized with the support of UNRCCA in Samarkand in November 2017.

During recent years, Uzbekistan has initiated a significant number of global and regional initiatives, including six UN General Assembly Resolutions. It was a common view that the country is well-positioned to play an important role in building trust and expanding interaction in Central Asia and beyond.