Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Director of the International Institute of Central Asia (IICA ) Javlon Vakhabov met with the Ambassador of Türkiye to Uzbekistan Olgan Bekar.

During the conversation, issues of the current state and promising areas of cooperation between Uzbekistan and Türkiye in the context of the interregional agenda, as well as the interaction of IICA with the expert and analytical circles of Türkiye were discussed.

The parties noted the strong and multifaceted interaction between Uzbekistan and Türkiye, which has always been based on common cultural, linguistic, religious and traditional values. However, the real strengthening of relations between the two countries began in 2016 with the coming to power of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, it was noted during the meeting.

As emphasized, Uzbek-Turkish interaction has also become a key component in the development of relations within international organizations, in particular the Organization of Turkic States, which Uzbekistan joined in 2019, which served as an impetus for its further expansion.

According to the ambassador, the accession of Uzbekistan to the Organization not only strengthened it economically, but also contributed to the growth of activity of other participants in the Organization of Turkic States, which indicates the increasing role of the structure.

During the meeting, the Turkish diplomat also stated the special significance of IICA in carrying out targeted research in the field of regional integration processes.

At the end of the meeting, the ambassador indicated his readiness to assist in establishing cooperation between IICA and the leading analytical centers of Türkiye - the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) and the Center for Strategic Studies at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SAM).