Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 13 December, a conference was held in Tashkent, organized by the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISMI) together with the Mediterranean Institute of Asia and Africa (ISMAA) on the topic: “Uzbekistan-Italy: new horizons of cooperation."

The webinar, held in a hybrid format, became a logical continuation of the expert dialogue established following the visit of the delegation of Uzbekistan to Rome in May of this year.

The event brought together representatives of political, diplomatic and expert-analytical circles of Uzbekistan and Italy. Thus, the Italian side was represented by the Italian Ambassador to Uzbekistan in the period 2011-2016. Riccardo Manara, ISMAA President Maurizio Barnaba, ISMAA Secretary General Vincenzo Valenti, Ambassador and ISMAA Board Member Marco Carnelos, ISMAA Board Member and Deputy President of the Italy-Uzbekistan Friendship Association Magda Pedace.

Experts from the Institute of Strategic and Interregional Studies, the Institute of Macroeconomic and Regional Studies, the International Institute of Central Asia, and the Development Strategy Center were present on the Uzbek side.

The conference was opened by Akramjon Nematov, First Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The opening speech was made by Ricardo Manara, who highly appreciated the bilateral relations between the countries.

The agenda of the video conference was aimed at discussing trends and factors of cooperation between Uzbekistan and Italy, new promising areas of mutually beneficial partnership for both countries, as well as ways and mechanisms for strengthening interaction between research think tanks of the two countries.

The entire range of issues on the conference agenda was divided into 3 sessions:

- Cooperation between Uzbekistan and Italy: observed trends and prospects;

- The role of Italy in strengthening stability and sustainable development in Central Asia;

- Development of proposals to strengthen cooperation between think tanks.

Following the event, the meeting participants agreed to continue the expert dialogue, and also recognized the importance of sharing best practices and research results and innovative approaches to improve the analytical processes of the two countries.

In particular, as one of the main tools for interaction, it was proposed to form a coordination working group of experts to exchange views in the political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres. 

Particular attention was planned to be paid to issues of transport and logistics, interconnectivity, business, development of small and medium-sized enterprises, and use of water resources. An agreement was reached to hold meetings regularly in an online format for a more detailed discussion and detailing of the proposals voiced.

The Mediterranean Institute for Asia and Africa (ISMAA) is a non-profit think tank founded in 2017. The goal of the institute is to promote dialogue between Italy and the countries of Asia and Africa, strengthening and promoting international cooperation in the fields of economics and culture, science and research.

The Institute cooperates with many ministries and departments (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Tourism, Parliament, etc.). It implements projects on the internationalization of enterprises, cultural diplomacy, enhancing the value of heritage, and also develops Roadmaps for the promotion of cultural and sustainable tourism.