On March 6, the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED) hosted a meeting with Nurlan Yermekbayev, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The visit also included a round table on Strengthening Regional Cooperation Between the SCO And Uzbekistan, which was attended by the university management, faculty, researchers and students. During the event, the issues of SCO transformation in modern conditions, expansion of economic interaction in the region, as well as strengthening the role of the organization in shaping the global architecture of security and development were discussed.
Rector of UWED Sadyk Safoev and SCO Secretary General Nurlan Ermekbayev made welcoming speeches. In his speech, the rector emphasized that Uzbekistan’s cooperation with the SCO is an important direction of the country’s foreign policy strategy, reflecting its aspiration to strengthen regional partnership and multilateral dialogue. In turn, the Organization’s Secretary General noted Uzbekistan’s growing importance within the organization and expressed confidence that Tashkent’s initiatives would contribute to further strengthening economic and humanitarian ties between the member states.
The discussion included presentations by leading experts and analysts who paid special attention to the prospects of SCO modernization and its adaptation to new geopolitical realities. One of the speakers was Dr. Abbos Bobokhonov, Head of the IAIS Center for Asia-Pacific Studies, who presented a detailed analysis of the current state of the organization. He noted that the SCO is entering the third decade of its existence against the backdrop of global transformations that require deeper coordination among member states.
In his speech, Dr. Bobokhonov stressed that the organization should focus on further institutional reform, improved decision-making mechanisms and more active interaction with international structures. He also drew attention to the importance of the economic dimension in SCO activities, noting the need to develop new transport corridors, improve the efficiency of trade and economic cooperation and introduce digital technologies within the organization.
Summarizing the results, the roundtable participants expressed confidence that the discussed initiatives and recommendations will become a basis for further strengthening of interaction between Uzbekistan and the SCO. They also emphasized the importance of such meetings, which promote exchange of views and elaboration of strategic approaches to the development of multilateral cooperation in the region.
