Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Speaking at the expert conference on the topic “Central Asia - European Union: a new agenda for security cooperation”, organized by the International Institute of Central Asia and bringing together leading specialists and experts from the states of Central Asia and the European Union, First Deputy Director of ISMI Akramjon Nematov presented the regional experience of counter-terrorism cooperation as a successful practice of interaction between the Central Asian states and the international community. 

In particular, it was noted that in March 2022, the Central Asian states, in partnership with the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, updated the Joint Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia, first adopted in 2011 in Ashgabat, and in May of this year, as part of the implementation of the provisions of this plan, on the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan, the activities of the Regional Expert Council of Central Asia for the rehabilitation and reintegration of persons returned from armed conflict zones were launched. 

The expert separately emphasized that in world practice this is the first experience of regionalization of cooperation on reintegration issues, as well as a successful example of the institutionalization of regional cooperation in Central Asia. In his words, all this speaks of the achieved high level of consolidation of the states of the region, the formation of an integral regional strategy to jointly counter common challenges and threats, as well as the readiness to jointly bear responsibility for the indivisible security of the Central Asian space. 

A. Nematov especially noted that the launch of the Regional Expert Council was also a practical result of the implementation, together with the UNOCT, of a global program on rehabilitation and reintegration. Moreover, he said that within the framework of the “road map” signed on May 15 this year. between the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the UNOCT, in Uzbekistan it is planned to begin the implementation of an additional five global programs on various aspects of countering terrorism, including in the field of preventing the financing of terrorism, protecting vulnerable targets from terrorist threats, suppressing the movement of terrorists, which could serve as a common platform for effective cooperation with the European Union. 

In conclusion, the ISMI expert cited the words of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly that “the openness of Central Asia to the whole world is becoming the most important condition for ensuring the security and sustainable development of the region. And Central Asia, with the support of the international community, will continue to follow the path of consolidation, and the transformation of Central Asia into a peaceful and prosperous region will remain a priority goal of Uzbekistan’s foreign policy.”