At the international conference on “Eurasian security: reality and prospects in a transforming world” held in Minsk on October 26-27, 2023, the First Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of Uzbekistan (ISRS), Akramjon Nematov, highlighted the importance of Central Asia in the stability and sustainable development of the Eurasian continent.
The event was attended by representatives of the member states of the CSTO, CIS, SCO, academic, and the expert community, as well as heads of several international organizations, from more than 30 countries. Mr. Nematov stated that the security of the countries and their sustainable economic development are comprehensive and essentially indivisible.
Uzbekistan has been pursuing an open, pragmatic, multilateral policy, searching for mutually acceptable compromises on all issues, which has led to a radical transformation of the Central Asian region and a powerful impetus to the growth of the regional economy.
The total GDP of the Central Asian states has doubled, intraregional trade has increased by 3 times, the number of joint ventures has increased by 5 times, the volume of mutual investments increased almost 6 times, and the influx of foreign direct investment into the region – by 45%.
The expert emphasized that Central Asia is an integral part of the stability and sustainable development of the Eurasian continent, and Uzbekistan has been advocating for the maintenance of dialogue and trust in the Eurasian space.
The Samarkand Solidarity Initiative was launched to launch a global dialogue between all interested parties, free from geopolitical and ideological confrontation. Uzbekistan has significantly intensified its participation in various Eurasian associations, such as the CIS, EAEU, SCO, CICA, OTS, and ECO.