Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the UK’s Parliament visited Uzbekistan on 15-18 May 2023. The aim of the visit was to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and political context as well as discuss opportunities for closer partnerships in terms of trade, investment, security and climate change.

During the visit the Committee met with a range of government officials in Uzbekistan, including Deputy Secretary of the Security Council under the President for Foreign Policy and Security Affairs, Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan for Foreign Policy Issues Abdulaziz Kamilov, Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan Ismatulla Irgashev, Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of Oliy Majlis Sodiq Safoyev, and others.

The visit programme also included looking at the results of the British Embassy in Tashkent’s programme work, such as NGO Madad, which provides free legal advice to citizens of Uzbekistan and joint IOM-Agency for External Labour Migration project on organising pre-departure trainings for seasonal workers going to the UK. A meeting was held with the British Council Creative Spark and Creative Economy programme team to discuss the outcomes of UK-Uzbekistan partnership to support creative economy development.  

The Committee members also visited Westminster International University in Tashkent to talk to the students, as well as Kharzati-Imam complex, Applied Arts Museum and Chorsu bazaar to get a sense of Uzbekistan’s history and culture.

Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Alicia Kearns MP, said: “I’m pleased to be here in Uzbekistan leading the first British Parliamentary Committee to visit this century. 

“Our visit aims to better understand British-Uzbek relations, regional priorities and dynamics, pressures and frictions, to enable us to scrutinise the British Government's approach in this diverse region. We look forward to expanding and challenging our understandings of this increasingly important part of the world”.