Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – On 19 July, in the city of Jeddah, the first summit of the Heads of States "Central Asia - Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC)" was held, thus marking the rapprochement of two historically interconnected regions.

During the summit, the Head of our state Shavkat Mirziyoyev delivered a speech in which he focused on a number of important issues that pose a threat to the security of the countries of Central Asia and the GCC.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in his speech, proposed to jointly combat the manifestations of Islamophobia observed in the world and take practical steps in this direction within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

The joint efforts of the two regions on this issue, as well as the adoption of practical measures to combat Islamophobia and promote tolerance, respect for the diversity of religions and cultures, will help achieve a more peaceful and sustainable world community. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as an international organization, is a suitable platform for coordinating efforts and interaction between participating countries in solving this problem.

The leader of our state paid special attention to the problem connected with Afghanistan. In particular, attention was focused on the need to draw the attention of the world community to the problems of Afghanistan, as well as to make a worthy contribution to improving the life of the Afghan people.

The development of common approaches towards Afghanistan is one of the main foreign policy tasks of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Focusing on the problems of Afghanistan and making a worthy contribution to improving the lives of its people are important steps in achieving sustainable development and prosperity in the Central Asian region, and require joint efforts from the international community and responsible states.

And finally, Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted the importance of interaction between Central Asia and the GCC in the fight against terrorism, extremism, radicalism and drug trafficking, as well as in protecting young people from the spread of such threats through the Internet and other means. This problem poses the greatest threat to the two regions.

To implement this proposal, the Head of State proposed to strengthen contacts between the two regions, which will improve information exchange, exchange of data and analytical information, as well as conduct joint operations and investigations to identify, detain and neutralize terrorist groups, extremist organizations and radical elements.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the last summit clearly demonstrated a high interest in the interregional dialogue between the Arab and Central Asian countries.

This testifies to the desire of the GCC and Central Asian states to develop mutually beneficial cooperation and strengthen relationships, stimulate trade, investment, transport and energy ties, as well as joint work in the fields of education, culture, science and tourism.

In general, the GCC and Central Asia are interested in strengthening interaction and mutually beneficial partnership. The subsequent implementation of the discussed initiatives and agreements will contribute to the progress and well-being of both regions, as well as to the strengthening of their political and economic stability.

Farhod Juraev

Leading Researcher

International Institute of Central Asia