A round table was held at ISRS with the participation of experts from the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Research (BISR). The event was organized in accordance with the Plan of joint activities within the framework of bilateral cooperation between ISRS and BISR for 2019-2020 signed in Minsk in July this year.
The round table was attended by representatives of the Information and Analytical Centre for International Relations, the Development Strategy Centre, the Centre for Economic Research, and staff of the Embassy of Belarus in Tashkent.
The current state and prospects of Uzbek-Belarusian relations in the context of the situation in Central Asia were discussed during the event.
It was noted that the event was a logical continuation of the agreements reached between the heads of the two countries during the first official visit of President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Belarus in August this year. Eleven intergovernmental and interdepartmental agreements were signed summarizing its results.
It was emphasized that a powerful impetus to the development of Uzbek-Belarusian cooperation was given by holding the first Forum of Regions of Belarus and Uzbekistan in Minsk, which resulted in interesting projects in medicine, agriculture and information technology.
Within a short period, cooperation in the implementation of ICT projects has already begun to take practical shape. In September this year, the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan A. Aripov met with a group of leading Belarusian IT specialists. At the same time, the first electric bus produced by "Belkommunmash" was being tested in the streets of Tashkent.
The establishment of joint production of MTZ tractors at the Tashkent Tractor Plant, as well as pharmaceuticals to meet the needs of not only the Uzbek, but also Afghan and Pakistani markets, are promising areas.
These and other subjects of deepening practical interaction and cooperation between the two countries, as well as the search for new promising areas of cooperation were key topics of dialogue between experts from the leading think tanks of Uzbekistan and Belarus.
In addition, the Belarusian experts' schedule includes meetings in the Senate and the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the CEC, the Liberal Democratic Party of Uzbekistan, the Development Strategy Centre, the Yuxalish National Movement, the Tashkent State Institute for Oriental Research, the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, and the Department of Foreign Economic Activity.
It is noteworthy that ISRS became the first foreign partner of the BISR. In a relatively short period since the creation of the Belarusian Institute, very warm relations of partnership have been established between IISMI and the BISR, and three meetings have been held at the executive level of the two institutions.
