The Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED) held a working meeting with a delegation of prominent international experts, focusing on key political, economic and security developments in Central Asia.

The discussion featured Lt. Gen. Karl W. Eikenberry, Distinguished Senior Fellow at The Stimson Center and former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan; Peter Slezkine, Director of the Russia Program at The Stimson Center; and Curt Mills, Executive Director of The American Conservative.

During the exchange, participants addressed issues of regional integration in Central Asia, the development of connectivity and trade corridors, and emerging security concerns. Attention was paid to the specificities of the Central Asian political and societal mentality, as well as to the region’s multi-vector foreign policies and patterns of cooperation with a broad range of international partners.

IAIS and UWED were represented by UWED First Vice-Rector and IAIS Director Dr. Akram Umarov, IAIS Deputy Director Odil Gafarov, Head of the Center for American Studies Prof. Ulugbek Ishankhodjaev, Dean of the UWED Faculty of International Relations Madina Abdullaeva, as well as IAIS Research Fellows Rustam Makhmudov, Mushtariy Usmonova, Odilbek Manabov, Madinakhon Alimova, Rashid Ibragimov, Professor of the International Relations Department Dr. Ulugbek Khasanov, and Firdavs Kobilov.

The meeting provided an opportunity for an in-depth exchange of views between international experts and Uzbek scholars, contributing to a deeper understanding of Central Asia’s evolving regional role and its engagement with global actors.