On May 20 of this year, on the sidelines of the first meeting of the Termez Dialogue on the connectivity between Central and South Asia on the topic of “Building a common space of peace, friendship and prosperity”, a number of bilateral meetings were held between the Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS) Eldor Aripov and the heads of foreign delegations who arrived to participate in the event.

Substantive negotiations were held with the head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) Kaha Imnadze, the UN Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan Sabine Mahl, the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Roza Otunbayeva, as well as with the director of the Institute of studying of the problems of Asian and European countries of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan Rustam Khaidarzoda.

During the meetings, the parties discussed issues of further strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation and outlined plans for the future.

The heads of delegations highly appreciated the holding of the Termez Dialogue, emphasizing its relevance and importance as a new, timely platform for strengthening mutual understanding, developing cooperation and coordinating efforts between the countries of Central and South Asia.

In particular, the head of UNRCCA Kaha Imnadze noted that "Uzbekistan's initiative to hold the Termez Dialogue logically continues the course initiated at the Tashkent International Conference on Connectivity in 2021. In his opinion, "the prospects for expanding interregional ties look optimistic, especially given the initiatives adopted at the highest political level, including a special resolution of the UN General Assembly." He emphasized that "the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy will continue to provide comprehensive support to this process."

In turn, Roza Otunbayeva expressed her conviction that the inclusion of Afghanistan in regional processes is a key element in ensuring a stable and prosperous future in Central and South Asia. According to the head of UNAMA, "the consistent and breakthrough initiatives of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev open new horizons for uniting the efforts of the countries of the region. The active position of the five Central Asian states can set a common vector of development, which other countries can subsequently join."

The UN Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan Sabine Machl called the model of regional interaction built by Uzbekistan with its neighbors unique. "This experience deserves high praise and can serve as a successful example of regional partnership. It should be presented to the world community as a clear demonstration of the effectiveness of dialogue and trust as the basis for sustainable development," she said.

Director of the Institute of studying of the problems of Asian and European countries of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan Rustam Khaidarzoda noted the leading role of Uzbekistan in the implementation of strategic infrastructure projects designed to promote the socio-economic recovery of Afghanistan. He emphasized that the Termez International Trade Center is an example of what Afghanistan can become in the future - a country with sustainable economic ties and a developed business environment. "Such an approach deserves attention and can be adapted by other countries," the expert concluded.

Let us recall that the first meeting of the Termez Dialogue was organized by the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The forum brought together about 200 participants from Central and South Asia, Europe, the CIS, the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East and America. The delegations included representatives of political and business circles, international and regional organizations, financial institutions, as well as leading experts and analysts from world-class research centers.