According to the President, there is only one way out of the dangerous spiral of problems in an interconnected world where we all live today – through constructive dialogue and multilateral cooperation based on consideration and respect for the interests of everyone. The wide scope and deep understanding of the causes and objective sources of the existing world problems, as well as a strategic vision of constructive ways to solve them, testify to the scale of the thinking of Uzbekistan Leader. According to the author, only interaction within the framework of international institutions, whose activities are in the interests of all participants, can ensure security and sustainable development.
Undoubtedly, a striking example of such interaction is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) – one of the largest young regional organizations in the world, which covers 60 percent of the territory of Eurasia and about half of the world’s population. The total volume of GNP is about a quarter of the world economy and exceeds trillion. The principles of the organization, based on a non-bloc status and openness, equality and mutual respect, non-direction of the SCO activities against third countries or international organizations, refusal to interfere in the internal affairs of other states, prevention of political confrontation and confrontational rivalry, from year to year become especially attractive to many countries that do not geographically border the SCO countries.
Uzbekistan’s chairmanship in the Organization is a logical continuation of the constructive, active and open foreign policy of New Uzbekistan over the past 6 years. The past chairmanship gave Uzbekistan a unique opportunity to strengthen cooperation not only in a multilateral, but also bilateral format with each of the partner countries and jointly determine completely new guidelines for enhancing multifaceted interaction.
As part of Uzbekistan’s chairmanship in the Organization, the country held about 80 events, including such areas as the development of economic cooperation, the improvement of transport and logistics links, the creation of joint industrial clusters, poverty reduction, the development of a digital and green economy, and others, including the search for new areas of cooperation.
The main attention in the article is paid to the role of Samarkand as a historical bridge in the intercivilizational dialogue, which is always ready to meet guests with breakthrough proposals and initiatives designed to serve the benefit and prosperity of the SCO and each of its members.
Undoubtedly, Samarkand will open another page of history in the activities of the Organization. This will be facilitated by the enormous historical heritage of the glorious city. For many centuries, Samarkand has linked countries from Europe to China with inseparable threads, connecting North and South, East and West with economic and cultural ties.
Historically Samarkand has been a melting pot of ideas and knowledge, that was “cooking” a common goal of living better, being more successful and becoming happier. And everybody knows that friendly neighbors are half of your wealth, you are a blessing to them, because you know that cooperation, trade, oeuvre, science, art and the best ideas do good, enrich and bring nations together.
The city, which today has a modern and dynamically developing infrastructure, has undoubtedly become the most suitable platform for joint discussion, search and agreement on the necessary answers to the regional and global challenges of mankind.
Undoubtedly, the upcoming SCO Samarkand Summit will launch a completely new, inclusive dialogue based on the principles of mutual respect, trust, constructive cooperation for the sake of common security and prosperity.
The perception of the world from Samarkand is historically seen as unique and indivisible. This is the essence of the Samarkand Spirit, based on which a fundamentally new format of international cooperation, including within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, can be built.
Bakhrom Sotiboldiyev,
Head of Department at the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the
Republic of Uzbekistan
