The event was organized in Uzbekistan by the Center for Public Diplomacy of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Department of Modern History of Uzbekistan of the Faculty of History of the National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek. It was attended by representatives of more than 20 state and non-state organizations, including members of the Senate and deputies of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, employees of ministries and committees, professors and teachers of more than 10 higher educational institutions, scientists, specialists in the field, representatives of the general public and mass media.
As is known, the 25th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the SCO Plus Summit were held in Tianjin, China, from August 31 to September 1 of this year. The Head of our state participated in them with a report, which included a number of important proposals and initiatives on global issues within the framework of the organization and at the international level.
In order to popularize and convey to the general public the essence and significance of the new proposals and initiatives put forward by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan at the Tianjin Summit, a round table on the topic “SCO in Action: Initiatives of New Uzbekistan” was held at the National University of Uzbekistan on September 4 of this year.
The moderator of the “round table,” Director of the SCO Center for People’s Diplomacy in Uzbekistan, K. Sobirov, briefly touched upon the essence and significance of the SCO’s important initiatives aimed at strengthening the political foundations, expanding cooperation in the field of regional security, and developing economic and cultural-humanitarian cooperation, noting that these initiatives are a logical continuation of the ideas expressed at previous summits, and noted the need for joint efforts to discuss and implement them with the general public and specialists in the field.
In his online video message, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Piao Yanfan, commenting on the details of the summit held in China, noted that the initiatives put forward by the leadership of Uzbekistan are important for the institutional development of the SCO and fully correspond to the principles of the “Shanghai Spirit” in terms of serving the interests of the member states.
Vice-Rector of the National University of Uzbekistan R.Shirinova, welcoming the guests of the round table, noted that the initiatives of the President of our country, aimed at developing cooperation within the framework of the SCO, such as the creation of the “SCO University” online campus, holding competitions and olympiads among students and young specialists, will serve to accelerate the exchange of education, science, and technology.
Professor of the National University, Chairperson of the “Olima” Association of Women of Uzbekistan R. Murtazayeva noted that the initiatives of New Uzbekistan are important primarily for the interests of the individual, as well as for ensuring the sustainable development of society and achieving social well-being. Also, active women, especially female scientists, expressed their readiness to contribute to the implementation of initiatives based on their scientific activities.
The Head of the Department for Cooperation with Regional Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Sh. Rakhmatov, noted that Uzbekistan’s initiatives cover more than ten areas, including such aspects as general security, stability, intercultural dialogue, economic integration, and the expansion of transport and logistics corridors, and the implementation of these initiatives will allow Central Asia to become the “core of the SCO” in connecting East and West, North and South, and will be an important factor in strengthening the principles of multipolarity.
Interaction in the SCO space is being elevated to the level of parliamentary diplomacy within the framework of the inter-parliamentary dialogue platform. During the “round table,” the deputy of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, D. Fayziyeva, noted that in the SCO space, a significant positive growth dynamic can be observed in the sphere of legislation and inter-parliamentary cooperation. In this regard, the effective cooperation of the legislative bodies of the member states of the organization was recognized as an important factor.
At the round table, the Head of the Department of the “Development Strategy” Center, F. Hakimov, the representative of the Ecological Party of Uzbekistan, N. Yusupov, and the representative of the Ministry of Culture, M. Mirgiyasov, also spoke about the importance of Uzbekistan’s initiatives at the SCO summit.
At the end of the round table, the Head of the Department of Modern History of Uzbekistan, Professor K. Saipova, noted that the Tianjin Summit once again demonstrated Uzbekistan’s active position on regional and global issues, that the wide support of Uzbekistan’s initiatives in the international arena testifies to the growing prestige of our country, and also noted that the round table was organized at the beginning of the new academic year at our University and was held in harmony with the independence lessons organized for students taking their first steps at our university. For this, gratitude was expressed to the Director of the Center for Public Diplomacy of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan, Kobiljon Kasimovich.
The Tianjin Summit and the proposals and ideas put forward by the New Uzbekistan within its framework are significant because they are aimed at strengthening the Organization’s cooperation in political, economic, and cultural-humanitarian spheres. At the same time, they contribute not only to regional stability and security, but also to ensuring long-term peace and development in the common Eurasian space.
The initiatives of New Uzbekistan strengthen mutual trust among the SCO members and send an important signal to the world community as a practical embodiment of the “Shanghai spirit.” In particular, projects in the field of nuclear security, environmental sustainability, transport and trade, educational and cultural exchanges create a solid foundation for comprehensive cooperation.
In this sense, the initiatives of New Uzbekistan will serve not only to increase practical effectiveness within the framework of the SCO, but also to further enhance the organization’s authority in the international arena. The consistent implementation of these initiatives can deepen regional integration processes and provide our peoples with prosperity, development, and a sustainable future.
