Government of the Republic of Slovenia
Government of the Republic of Slovenia
11/28/2024 | Press release | Archived content
State Secretary Štucin in Tashkent expresses interest in strengthening political dialogue with Uzbekistan
28. 11. 2024
State Secretary Marko Štucin held political consultations in Tashkent with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Muzaffarbek Anvarbekovich. The two officials reviewed bilateral cooperation and committed to strengthening economic cooperation, in line with the 2023 economic cooperation agreement.
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State Secretary Štucin and Deputy Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Anvarbekovich | Author Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve
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State Secretary Štucin with Khafizovich Kamilov, Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan for Foreign Policy State Secretary Štucin with Mr Rakhmankulov, Director of the Institute of Legislation and Legal Policy under the President of Uzbekistan State Secretary Štucin giving a lecture for students
In the light of the upcoming 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Slovenia and Uzbekistan, both sides expressed their interest in further strengthening political dialogue and economic cooperation. The two countries already have excellent cooperation in the pharmaceutical industry, sports and AI, with a number of unexplored opportunities in ICT, infrastructure and agriculture. "Slovenia is working to strengthen political dialogue with Uzbekistan. We would also like to increase diplomatic presence in Central Asia," said State Secretary Štucin.
The two sides exchanged views on current international issues, focusing on the situation in Afghanistan and the Middle East, and on cooperation with the EU. They agreed that respect for international law and multilateralism are key to addressing challenges.
State Secretary Štucin later met with the Head of the EU Delegation to Uzbekistan, Toivo Klaar, to discuss the security situation in the country and the region, as well as the cooperation between the EU and Uzbekistan and within the UN Security Council. Discussions with Abdulaziz Khafizovich Kamilov, representative of the Office of the President of Uzbekistan, focused on the planned visit of the President of Uzbekistan to Ljubljana and an analysis of developments in Central Asia.
On the sidelines of the consultations in Tashkent, the State Secretary also met with the First Deputy Speaker of the Senate of Uzbekistan, Safoyev Solikhkovich, to discuss the possibilities of cooperation between Slovenian and Uzbek universities. The Erasmus+ programme between the two countries is already operational, and the Uzbek side has expressed its desire to strengthen cooperation. After the meeting, the State Secretary gave a lecture to students of the Tashkent State University of Economics on Slovenia and its foreign policy, focusing on Slovenia as a member of the UN Security Council, the future of the EU and its cooperation with other regions of the world, and Slovenia's relations with the countries of Central Asia.
Finally, the State Secretary met with Mir-Akbar Rakhmankulov, Director of the Institute of Legislation and Legal Policy. The Director outlined the activities of the Institute and described the excellent work of Slovenian experts in assisting and training the Uzbek authorities in the effective implementation of legislation.