On October 15, in Fergana, within the framework of the first session of the Fergana Peace Forum, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS) and the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences (ICCA RAS).

The document provides for joint research in areas of mutual interest, the exchange of publications, the organization of reciprocal academic internships, and joint events. The Memorandum is expected to serve as an important starting point for fruitful collaboration between ISRS and ICCA RAS.

To implement the Memorandum, the parties agreed to develop an Action Plan for 2026, which will focus on analyzing the state of Uzbek-Russian relations and identifying new growth areas for bilateral cooperation in the trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian spheres.

At the end of the meeting, the participants emphasized the importance of maintaining working contacts and expressed their readiness to further strengthen scientific and expert cooperation.

Institute of China and Contemporary Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) is a leading research center specializing in the study of contemporary China, as well as the countries and regions of Asia. The Institute conducts a comprehensive analysis of political, economic, social, and cultural processes and provides expert support to Russian and international partners on issues of regional cooperation and security.