On October 26 this year, ISRS hosted a meeting between the Director of the Institute Eldor Aripov and the head of the Center for Information and Arab-Russian Studies of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) - Majed Al-Turki, who arrived in the Republic of Uzbekistan to participate in the country's parliamentary elections as an international observer.

During the talks, sides discussed issues of expanding and strengthening cooperation between Uzbekistan and the KSA, as well as establishing partnerships between leading analytical centers of the two countries.

At the beginning of the conversation, the Saudi expert noted with satisfaction the large-scale reforms being implemented in Uzbekistan under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. He stated that the results of these changes can be considered the increase in the well-being of the population of the republic, the country’s strengthened position in the international arena and the enormous attention of the world community to Uzbekistan.

Interest in the republic, according to the Saudi guest, is also growing in Saudi Arabia. In this regard, the issue of strengthening Uzbek-Saudi relations is currently at the center of attention of the Kingdom’s top leadership. "At the same time, thanks to the joint practical efforts of the leaders of the two states, in recent years, multifaceted cooperation between the countries has reached a qualitatively new level of its historical development", – the director of the Saudi center emphasized.

Meanwhile, according to the representative of the Kingdom, despite the positive dynamics of relations between Uzbekistan and the KSA, there remains a huge unrealized potential for cooperation. In this regard, the director of the Saudi center called for intensification of ties between the analytical structures of the two states. According to Majed Al-Turki's firm belief, "think tanks" could develop initiatives of practical significance that would allow identifying new mutually beneficial areas of cooperation.

At the end of the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between ISRS and the Center for Information and Arab-Russian Studies of the KSA. The document provides for the establishment of cooperation and regular working contacts between the analytical centers of the two countries through joint research projects, organizing forums, seminars and round tables on issues of mutual interest.

The Center for Information and Arab-Russian Studies is a non-profit organization that studies the status and development of international relations between the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, primarily Saudi Arabia, and the countries of Central Asia and Russia. The Center carries out information and analytical work commissioned by government agencies.