On April 18, Astana hosted an international scientific and practical conference “Strengthening scientific cooperation for the sustainable development of Central Asia”, organized by the Presidential Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty.

The event is timed to coincide with the proclamation by the UN General Assembly of 2024-2033 as the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development.

Addressing the conference, the First Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS), Akramjon Nematov, emphasized that Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan carry out important missions within the framework of UNESCO. In particular, Kazakhstan was elected to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for 2023-2027. In 2025, Uzbekistan will hold the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand for the first time in 40 years outside of Paris.

Akramjon Nematov is convinced that the countries will contribute to developing international cooperation in culture, science, and education through joint efforts.

“Today’s conference in Astana is a clear indicator of our countries’ readiness to participate in the international scientific dialogue jointly and to jointly use the latest scientific achievements to implement sustainable development goals both globally and in the Central Asian region”, he said.

According to the expert, a partnership with UNESCO can be an essential mechanism for unlocking the common scientific potential of the Central Asian states and establishing practical cooperation with the international scientific community.

Regional cooperation is yielding tangible results.

From 2016 to 2023, foreign trade in Central Asia more than doubled, and FDI in the region increased by 45%. The volume of mutual investments has increased almost 6 times. As a result, the total GDP of the countries in the region grew by 47%.

“Further development of regional cooperation will reveal the internal reserves of Central Asia, transform the region into an integral link of interregional connectivity, increase its self-sufficiency and sustainability, and the ability to more effectively respond to the challenges of our time”, Akramjon Nematov concluded.

The conference was attended by government and public figures, deputies of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, representatives of diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited in Kazakhstan, research scientists, experts, and others.

UzA