On April 14 of this year, a meeting was held between the ISRS Director Eldor Aripov and the Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Kairat Sarybay, who arrived in Uzbekistan to participate in events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of his father, Shora Sarybayev.

Taking the opportunity, Eldor Aripov expressed deep respect for the legacy of the distinguished guest’s father, a renowned scientist and public figure, noting his outstanding contribution to the study of Turkic culture and the development of humanitarian cooperation.

During the conversation, the parties discussed the growing dynamics of cooperation in Central Asia. The region is actively developing dialogue platforms with external partners, promoting a joint agenda, and strengthening its subjectivity.

In this regard, Kairat Sarybay highly praised the consistent reforms and openness policy carried out under the leadership of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. "Largely due to these efforts, the region demonstrates sustainable development and strengthening of mutual trust," he emphasized.

In this context, the relevance of Uzbekistan's initiative to develop connectivity between Central and South Asia, which correlates with the goals of CICA, was noted. The importance of its further promotion was pointed out, as well as the need to involve Afghanistan in regional ties to expand and strengthen interregional cooperation.

At the end of the conversation, the parties expressed their readiness to further develop cooperation, including within the framework of the CICA Think Tank Forum.