On May 27, the Valdai Discussion Club, in partnership with the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies (ISRS) under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, will hold a Russian-Uzbek conference. The theme of this year’s meeting is “Russia and Uzbekistan: Priority Areas of Cooperation”. The conference will be held at the Valdai Club headquarters in Moscow.
The Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan is a national expert centre dealing with issues of foreign policy, foreign economic relations, regional security and bilateral relations. Conferences under the auspices of the Valdai Club and ISRS are held annually, alternately in Russia and Uzbekistan. Their first bilateral meeting took place in the format of the Asian Valdai Conference in 2019.
United by their shared history, geopolitical space, and cultural heritage, Russia and Uzbekistan are natural partners in security, economic development, and socio-humanitarian ties. Today, their partnership is further strengthened by the consequences of escalating Russian-Western and American-Chinese rivalry. The West’s restrictive measures have particularly intensified Russian and Uzbek interest in technological and innovative cooperation, independent mutual settlement mechanisms, and new transportation routes.
Despite the current circumstances, Russia and Uzbekistan maintain mutual understanding in bilateral contacts and the same approaches to the main issues of regional development and international cooperation. They have also demonstrated the ability to ensure socio-political stability and the implementation of national development strategies, including through strengthening ties in Central Asia and, more broadly, in Eurasia.
The working programme of the Russian-Uzbek conference spans one day and will include an opening ceremony, three thematic sessions, and the conference closing. The opening of the conference and the first session (May 27, 10:00 – 11:40) will be available to the media and the general public and will be broadcast on the Club’s website.
During the sessions, experts will discuss the following topics:
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The strategic partnership between Russia and Uzbekistan as an important factor in ensuring stability in Eurasia;
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Interaction in the trade and the economic sphere and ensuring food security;
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Industrial cooperation in the new international environment: the development of technological cooperation.
From the Uzbek side, the discussions will be attended by: Eldor Aripov, Director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Bakhtiyor Mustafayev, Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Darya Ilyina, Project Manager of the Institute for Macroeconomic and Regional Studies under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Sharof Rajabbayev, Director of the Agency for Innovative Development under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Bekzod Kurbanov, Head of the Group for Monitoring and Evaluating Reforms at the Agency for Strategic Reforms, and others.
The Russian side will be represented by: Anastasia Likhacheva, Dean of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs at the National Research University Higher School of Economics; Ivan Safranchuk, Leading Researcher at the Institute of International Studies at MGIMO University; Anton Kozlov, Head of the Department of Foreign Projects and International Cooperation at Russian Railways; Nubara Kulieva, Junior Researcher at the Caucasus Studies Sector at the Centre for Central Asian Studies at the Institute of Central Asian Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences; Andrey Bystritskiy, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club; Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director at the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club; Timofei Bordachev, Professor at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club, and others.
Working languages: Russian, English.
Information for the media: In order to get accredited for the event, please fill out the form on our web site. If you have any questions about the event, please call +79269307763
Links to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, X (formerly Twitter), VK, Telegram and Dzen.
