On October 30 this year, a meeting was held at the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS) between the Director of the Institute, Eldor Aripov, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Uzbekistan, Akiko Fuji.

At the beginning of the conversation, the guest praised Uzbekistan's participation in the anniversary session of the UN General Assembly in September of this year. The parties particularly noted the productive nature of the meeting between the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, as well as the importance of the initiatives put forward by the Uzbek leader on global and regional development issues.

The results of the Fergana Peace Forum, held in Fergana on October 15-16 this year, were also discussed. "The event proved to be a unique platform that made a significant contribution to strengthening social unity and regional cooperation," said Akiko Fuji.

During the talks, the parties exchanged views on the current state and prospects of bilateral cooperation, and discussed priority areas of cooperation for 2026.

Akiko Fujii proposed focusing on supporting youth and empowering them. UNDP programs have provided vocational training to over 3,500 young men and women in the Fergana Valley.

To develop youth initiatives, special hubs are being created where young citizens can receive psychological and legal assistance, language courses, and entrepreneurship training. To date, over 2,000 people have used these services, and new sites are opening in Fergana, Andijan, and Namangan.

The UNDP Resident Representative paid special attention to projects aimed at improving the living conditions of Afghan citizens. With the assistance of the UN Development Programme, more than 520 Afghans, most of them women, have received training in Uzbekistan in in-demand areas such as information technology, agribusiness, sewing, and entrepreneurship.

An agreement was reached to discuss further prospects for Afghanistan's involvement in various projects to develop the professional skills of young people within the framework of the second meeting of the Termez Dialogue planned for 2026.

Furthermore, in April 2025, a joint UNDP and UNODC programme to strengthen youth resilience to cybercrime and digital violence was launched. It aims to increase the youth's awareness of online threats and strengthen the capacity of national institutions to address these challenges.

Following the meeting, the neighbors confirmed their commitment to further strengthening their partnership aimed at developing human potential, expanding opportunities for youth, and deepening regional cooperation.