During the visit of the Republic of Uzbekistan’s delegation to Ottawa, “Uzbekistan Day” was held at the Canadian Parliament, during which the book “New Uzbekistan: The Path of Shavkat Mirziyoyev” was presented.

The event attracted over 80 guests, including members of Parliament, officials from the Prime Minister’s office, representatives of various ministries and agencies, business associations, as well as members of the expert community and the media.

The Canadian side was provided with detailed information about Uzbekistan’s current reform agenda – including economic liberalization, improvements to the investment climate, measures to support women and youth, as well as new initiatives in green energy and innovation.

Participants highly praised the scale of transformations being carried out under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, noting that the creation of an open and predictable business environment positions the country as one of the most promising partners.

The Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS) Bakhtiyor Mustafayev delivered a report on the country’s new regional course, which, he said, has made Central Asia a more stable and sustainable region. 

He emphasized that since President Mirziyoyev’s election Uzbekistan has shifted from cautious isolation to a policy of openness. This has enabled sustainable dialogue among regional states, resolution of longstanding issues concerning borders and shared use of cross border rivers, and activation of cooperation in trade, energy, and transport.

“All this has significantly strengthened Central Asia’s position on the international stage, as evidenced by the expansion of cooperation with external partners within the ‘Central Asia plus’ format – including China, Russia, the EU, and the USA,” the speaker underscored.

According to the ISRS expert, the region’s key task remains ensuring openness, interconnectivity, and stability for effective and mutually beneficial cooperation with all partners. Particular attention, he noted, is being given to deepening engagement with Canada.

In this context, Mustafayev elaborated in detail on the prospects for expanding Uzbekistan –Canada relations. He stressed that Tashkent and Ottawa share similar values – openness, respect for international law, a commitment to dialogue, and mutually beneficial partnership. Moreover, both countries are oriented toward economic diversification and adoption of innovative solutions.

The expert identified several areas that could become growth points for cooperation between Uzbekistan and Canada – development of green energy projects, implementation of joint technological initiatives in artificial intelligence, expansion of educational exchanges, as well as further promotion of tourism and cultural programs.