As part of his participation in the 41st session of the UNESCO General Conference, Deputy Prime Minister Aziz Abdukhakimov met with UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay.
During the talks, the Uzbek side congratulated Audrey Azoulay on her re-election for a second term and talked about the large-scale efforts made under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to promote the spheres included in the mandate of UNESCO.
Plans were announced to increase cooperation with the Organization, including the launch of the Khiva Process platform, the inclusion of Bakhshi’s Art on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, celebration of the International Day of Universal Access to Information, as well as activation of Uzbekistan’s participation in the work of UNESCO bodies.
Audrey Azoulay conveyed warm congratulations and best wishes to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev in connection with his re-election for a second term. She expressed gratitude to the Uzbek side for supporting her candidacy. The Director General highly appreciated the opening in recent years of a new chapter in relations with Uzbekistan and reaffirmed UNESCO’s commitment to deepening cooperation in all areas of its mandate.
During the meeting, Azoulay expressed her readiness to contribute to the disclosure of the potential of Uzbekistan in the field of culture, tourism, education and science.
“People are aware of the millennia-old history and depth of the country’s culture. During my visit to Uzbekistan, I became convinced that against the background of the current evolution of geopolitics, your region can again become the center of the world and world politics,” said Audrey Azoulay.
The head of the Organization welcomed the efforts to launch the Khiva Process platform and called for the maximum use of UNESCO’s opportunities to promote it as a key mechanism to promote dialogue in the regional context. Touching upon the issues of communications and information, the Director General noted the recognition by the world community of the “revolution” that took place in Uzbekistan in the field of liberalization of the information environment.
During the meeting with the delegation of Uzbekistan, Deputy Director General of UNESCO for Social and Human Sciences Gabriela Ramos expressed gratitude to the Government of Uzbekistan for organizing her visit to the republic at a high level in September 2021 to participate in the International Forum “Central Asia at the Crossroads of World Civilizations”, organized at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Ramos welcomed the introduction by the Uzbek side of the resolution “Khiva process” for consideration of the current session of the general conference. She reported on the Organization’s determination to support efforts to promote the platform.
At the talks with the Minister of Culture and Youth of the UAE, Nura bint Mohammed Al-Kaabi (who heads the Emirati delegation to the General Conference), the Uzbek side touched upon the efforts made by the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of preserving and promoting the rich historical and cultural heritage of the country. A detailed presentation of the candidacy of Samarkand as the venue for the 25th session of the UNWTO General Assembly in 2023 was held.
Nura bint Mohammed Al-Kaabi highly appreciated the intensification of mutual efforts by the two countries to expand trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian relations. She especially welcomed the intensification of Uzbekistan’s participation in the work of large festivals and cultural forums organized in the UAE, and also expressed readiness to contribute to strengthening bilateral cooperation through the ministries of culture of the two states.