Think Tank
Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club and the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Programme
List of speakers


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On September 20, 2021, Tashkent will host a conference of the Valdai Discussion Club and the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, titled “Russia and Uzbekistan in the Face of Development and Security Challenges at a New Historical Stage of Interaction”.

Uzbekistan occupies a special place among the republics of Central Asia. It is the largest country in the region in terms of population, with strong production potential and increasing export capabilities. The state has a solid industrial base and an impressive military force.
The first session will be devoted to the issues of reform and development in Central Asia and the Eurasian region as a whole, as well as the approaches of Russia and Uzbekistan to this topic, which will serve as the core of the conference.

Today Uzbekistan faces challenges regarding how to use the resources at its disposal, in particular, how to use them in cooperation with Russia and the countries of Central Asia.

The Club traditionally invites the relevant authorities to participate in conferences. This time, the participants of the event include Andrey Rudenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, as well as Farhod Arziev, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Among the leading speakers is Sodyq Safayev, First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The developments in the region (primarily Afghanistan), the rapidly changing political landscape, as well as the upcoming presidential elections in Uzbekistan itself at the end of October give particular relevance to the upcoming conference. The Club attaches great importance to Central Asian issues, constantly expanding coverage of this theme and increasing the number of events in Russia and abroad.

The change of power in Afghanistan and the destabilisation of the nation create new challenges for Russia and Central Asia. The conference in Tashkent is the first expert meeting of the leading think tanks of Russia and Central Asia since the fall of the pro-American government in Kabul. Both journalists and a wide audience will be able to hear first-hand the most authoritative assessments of Russian and Uzbek experts on the situation in Afghanistan.

The conference will consist of an opening session, three special sessions and a closing session, addressing the following issues:

  • Reforms and Development in Central Asia: Approaches of Russia and Uzbekistan. Humanitarian aspects of bilateral interaction
  • Regional security: External and internal factors
  • International trade and integration in Central Eurasia

The opening of the conference, the first session, as well as the closing session will be open to the media and will be broadcast on the Club’s website (in Russian).

Within the framework of the conference, the Valdai Club will present a new report titled “Eurasia’s Iron Frame: Achievements, Problems and Prospects for Continental Connectivity”, dedicated to transport and logistics issues in Eurasia, with an emphasis on the development of railway transit. At the end of 2021, the Valdai Club plans to release a report on Russian policy towards the post-Soviet space over the past 30 years. The conference in Tashkent will serve as one of the most important intellectual venues.

More than 30 experts from Russia and Uzbekistan will take part in the event. From the Uzbek side, the discussions will be attended by: Ismatulla Irgashev, Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan; Eldor Aripov, Director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Sanzhar Valiev, Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Nodir Zhumaev, professor, deputy of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Anvar Nasyrov, director of the International Institute for Central Asia and many others. From the Russian side, the conference will be attended by: Alexander Vysotsky, Head of Government Affairs, Yandex Go& Market; Andrey Bystritskiy, Chairman of the Board of the Valdai Discussion Club; Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director of the Valdai Discussion Club; Timofei Bordachev, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club and others.

Working languages: Russian.

Information for the media: To get accredited for the event, fill out the form on our website or call +79269307763. Accreditation is open until 18:00 p.m. Moscow time till September 16.