Shavkat Mirziyoyev meets with Director-General of UNESCO and President of the French Senate

On 8 October, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with Audrey Azoulay, Director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at the organization’s headquarters in Paris, the press service of the President reports.

At the meeting, President of Uzbekistan noted the deep symbolism that the official visit to the French Republic began with a meeting at UNESCO, and that Uzbekistan’s cooperation with this organization is steadily developing.

Audrey Azoulay, sincerely welcoming Shavkat Mirziyoyev, emphasized that cooperation with Uzbekistan and in particular the current meeting is very important for UNESCO.

It should be noted that Uzbekistan was twice elected to the Executive Board of the organization. The parties fruitfully cooperate in the sphere of restoration and in-depth study of rich spiritual heritage of Uzbekistan, implement joint projects in the field of culture, education, science and others. Historical and cultural sites in Khiva, Samarkand, Bukhara and Shakhrisabz are included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Bukhara city was awarded the prize of the organization “Cities for Peace”.

Audrey Azoulay supported the initiatives of the President of Uzbekistan on creating under the auspices of UNESCO in Samarkand the International Institute named after Mirzo Ulugbek for creating a culture of peace, tolerance and preventing extremism, creating a Regional center for information and communication technologies in education at Tashkent University of Information Technologies, opening the UNESCO department at Silk Road International Tourism University in Samarkand.

An agreement was reached on holding a regional forum of young scientists of Central Asia in Uzbekistan, as well as the Asian Forum “Information technologies in the service of cultural heritage conservation” in 2019 in Tashkent.

UNESCO Director-General highly appreciated the policy of Uzbekistan on preserving cultural and historical heritage of its people, which is the heritage of all mankind.

At the meeting, the Joint Action Plan was adopted for 2018-2021, aimed at bringing relations to a new level, innovative solution of joint tasks and strengthening cooperation in all areas.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev left a note in UNESCO’s Book of Honorary Guests.

Then head of our state met with the President of the French Senate Gérard Larcher and congratulated him on the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of the French Republic.

Activation of inter-parliamentary interaction, especially within the framework of friendship groups of the parliaments of the two countries, was noted with deep satisfaction.

Uzbekistan – France relations are developing dynamically in the sphere of inter-parliamentary relations. In 2008, the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Group was established at the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Uzbekistan – France Friendship Group has been operating in the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis since 2010. In 2008, a cooperation agreement was signed between the Authorized Person of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights (Ombudsman) and the French Defender of Rights.

Cooperation with France covers a wide range of bilateral relations in political, trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian spheres. Special attention is paid to expansion of contacts between business circles and regions of the two countries.

Issues of developing inter-parliamentary relations in specific areas, including through holding events, mutual visits on a regular basis and exchange of experience, were discussed. This will contribute to expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries and people.

President of the French Senate highly appreciated the ongoing large-scale reforms and transformations in Uzbekistan on modernization of the economy, increasing the well-being of the population and building strong civil society. Especially noted the conduction by Uzbekistan of constructive regional policy based on the principles of good neighborliness, mutually beneficial cooperation and consideration of the interests of each other.

It was emphasized that the first official visit of the President of Uzbekistan to France will serve to identify new areas of practical cooperation for the long term, including through the parliaments of the two countries.

Gérard Larcher expressed the readiness of the French Senate to further develop inter-parliamentary relations and give them a systemic nature in order to develop comprehensive and fruitful friendship and partnership with Uzbekistan.

The President of Uzbekistan examined the French Senate building.