The first meeting of the Central Asia Regional Expert Council on rehabilitation and reintegration of returnees from armed conflict zones began in Tashkent.

The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed the establishment of a Regional Expert Council at the high-level international conference “Regional cooperation of Central Asian countries within the framework of the Joint Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy”. The initiative was supported by international partners.

High-ranking officials from Central Asian countries, international organizations, such as the UN and OSCE, and experts attend the conference.

The Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov recalled that the issue of rehabilitation and reintegration of those who returned from armed conflict zones remains one of the most pressing. Central Asian countries, especially Uzbekistan, have unique experiences in this area. The government is taking a particular approach to solving the problem.

Gayrat Khonnazarov, photos by Nosirjon Khaydarov, UzA