The International Institute for Central Asia hosted a meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Uzbekistan, Oleg Malginov, to exchange views on the prospects for further interaction.

The parties discussed a wide range of issues on the multifaceted agenda between Uzbekistan and Russia, including trade and investment, transport and logistics, and labor migration, and also paid special attention to cooperation with academic and research institutions.

The dynamic development of trade and economic bilateral cooperation was noted. In particular, over the past few years, the volume of mutual trade between Uzbekistan and Russia has increased annually by 20% and, in 2023, will approach $10 billion.

The parties also advocated the continuation of sustainable cooperation within the framework of the “C5+” platform to resolve essential issues in the region and discover new opportunities, demonstrating to the world the subjectivity and integrity of the region. Such cooperation complements regional bilateral relations, especially in areas where a regional approach can provide beneficial advantages.

Thus, the meeting of leaders of “Central Asia – Russia”, held in October 2022 in Astana, demonstrated the effective development of multifaceted cooperation between the two countries. The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, put forward initiatives to bring the partnership to a higher level in trade and economics, transport and communications, energy, cultural and humanitarian spheres, and environmental protection to strengthen regional interaction.

At the meeting, the importance of increasing comprehensive interaction between analytical institutions for further exchange of expert assessments and holding joint events, roundtable discussions, and conferences was also noted.

Today, IICA, per concluded cooperation agreements, maintains mutually beneficial relations with research institutions such as the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund, the Centre for European and Asian Studies, and the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies.

G. Khonnazarov, UzA