On November 30, an online conference was held on “The situation in Central Asia and the joint construction of Belt and Road”.

At the event, organized by the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan together with Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament, experts analyzed the current situation in Central Asia and the role of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in enhancing regional collaboration.

ISRS Deputy Director Sanjar Valiyev noted that the videoconference is being held at a time when the demand for such platforms as the Belt and Road Initiative is increasing to restore trade, economic and other ties between the countries involved in this project in the East and the West of the continent.

As the expert emphasized, consistently supporting the Belt and Road Initiative, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the invitation of the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping took part in the opening ceremony of the Third China International Import Expo. Addressing this large-scale event, the President of Uzbekistan presented the achievements in liberalization of the national economy, including the foreign trade regime.

S. Valiyev highlighted the policy pursued by Uzbekistan to reduce raw material exports, diversify and increase manufacturing products with high added value, the accelerated industrial development of the country.

Taking into account that the key issue on the global agenda is the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese side was proposed by Uzbekistan to cooperate in the medical field and countering epidemiological threats of a cross-border nature.

In support of Uzbekistan’s vision and approaches, Ambassador Zhou Li, Vice President of Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament, noted that the Central Asian region is the first destination for Chinese investment under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Chinese diplomat stated that Beijing highly appreciates the active participation of Uzbekistan in the activities of such institutions as the SCO and the Belt and Road Initiative. Uzbekistan’s new open approach to cooperation contributes to the intensification of multilateral interaction in the region, making a significant contribution to strengthening mutual trust.

Following the discussion, the experts agreed that for the successful implementation of Belt and Road Initiative projects and the identification of unrealized potential, intellectual support and strengthening of cooperation between research centers of Uzbekistan and China becomes in demand. In this context, the parties agreed to continue the practice of holding online discussions and joint case studies on relevant issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Uzbekistan and China.

UzA