The President of Uzbekistan’s initiative to establish an interparliamentary forum is considered an important step

During the First Central Asia – European Union Interparliamentary Cooperation Forum in Samarkand, bilateral meetings were held with the participation of parliamentary delegations from the region.

First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Sodiq Safoyev, held talks with Chairwoman of the Committee of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan on Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Security Aigul Kuspan, Deputy Chairwoman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan, Mavsuma Muini, Chairperson of the Committee of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan on International and Inter-parliamentary Relations, Maksat Kuliyev, and Deputy Chairperson of the relevant committee of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic, Saltanat Amanova.

The heads of delegations highly valued the initiative proposed at the Samarkand Summit to create the interparliamentary forum, highlighting its timeliness and significance. They observed that the initiative clearly shows Uzbekistan’s unifying role in promoting interregional cooperation.

Special attention was given to securing parliamentary support and ensuring the practical implementation of agreements made at the heads-of-state level. Proposals were made to institutionalize the forum further, hold it on a rotating basis, and expand the range of participants.

During the meetings, the European Union's growing interest in Central Asian countries was also noted, and the importance of developing a coordinated regional strategy to utilize existing potential was stressed. It was emphasized that in recent years, the friendship, good neighborliness, and strategic partnership among the region’s states have reached a considerably new level.

Participants endorsed the initiative to enhance interparliamentary cooperation, including organizing a joint event within the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to develop transport connectivity and promote environmental sustainability.

Norgul Abduraimova, UzA