Tashkent hosted the sixth Meeting of the Heads of Ministries and Agencies of Science and Technology of the SCO Member States, led by the Minister of Innovative Development Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov.

The meeting was held within the framework of Uzbekistan’s chairmanship in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Three documents were signed at the event that is aimed at further developing mutually beneficial cooperation. In particular, the participants approved the Action Plan for Scientific and Technical Cooperation in Priority Areas between the SCO Member States for 2022-2025, the Mechanism for the Implementation of Joint Multilateral Scientific, Research and Innovation Projects within the SCO, and the Cooperation Program of the SCO Member States on the Development of Artificial Intelligence.

The documents, after full agreement by the national legislation of the SCO member states, will be submitted for approval to the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States. This meeting will be held on September 15-16 this year in Samarkand.

According to these documents, the transfer of the results of scientific research in digital medicine and biotechnology will be established. It also provides for the study of energy sources of the future, the exchange of catalogs of new products based on the study of consumer demand and new agricultural technologies, and the diversification of the product supply chain.

Several initiatives to develop cooperation were put forward at the meeting. The Minister of Innovative Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan I. Abdurakhmonov made proposals on the wide use of the existing scientific and technical potential of the SCO member states for the introduction of modern resource-saving innovative technologies in the Aral Sea region, the creation of a digital platform “Flora of the SCO member states”, the development and implementation of the joint scientific program “Green Energy”, as well as holding a digital fair of innovative technologies of the SCO member states.

Mukhayyo Toshqorayeva, UzA