UZBEKISTAN - UN: THE BEGINNING OF A NEW STAGE OF COOPERATION?

Temporary acting United Nations Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan, Sasha Graumann, shared his opinion on the outcome of the recent visit of UN Secretary-General António Guterres to our country at the regular session of the International Press Club in Tashkent on "Multilateral Cooperation: A Collective Response to Present Challenges".

"Special attention was placed on the problems of water and security during the visit", the diplomat said. “The Secretary General confirmed his determination to raise these issues by personally visiting the zone of the Aral Sea area. At the same time he was really shocked by what he saw. The area’s situation is a clear demonstration of what may happen if countries cannot jointly and rationally use common natural resources.

Currently, the UN is working on the drafts of two new concepts on the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya which create the legal framework for constructive cooperation in the water sector between the countries of the region. During the visit to Uzbekistan, Antoniu Guterres thoroughly discussed the provisions of these documents and confirmed the readiness of the organization to provide all-round assistance in the implementation of integrated water resources management in Central Asia.

Security was another important topic of the high-level talks. The UN Secretary-General once again stressed that Uzbekistan can play a key role in ensuring peace and stability in the region.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in turn, raised a question that is of equal significance for all of us, namely, the education of the younger generation. This is the sphere that always takes an essential place on the UN agenda.

Antonio Guterres received the detailed information on the current progress of Uzbekistan, including the ongoing reforms in the country within the framework of the Strategy for Actions for 2017-2021, the program document that defines the main development guidelines. This reflects the consonance of the long-term tasks that Uzbekistan poses for itself with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Of course, the main criterion for the effectiveness of any strategy is how much people’s lives have changed for the better. We hope that the reports and speeches that Uzbekistan will present in the UN in 2018 will reflect such changes. It will be an excellent opportunity for the republic to demonstrate to the whole world what and how it is achieved in the country, and also to share plans for the further advancement of all spheres of life of the state and society.

In general, Antonio Guterres’s visit to Uzbekistan and the results of the meetings conducted within it, I am sure, will raise the cooperation with the UN to a qualitatively new level. Trustful personal contacts established between the UN Secretary General and President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will also be a good tool for building up interaction across the entire spectrum of issues of interest to us.

Jahon Information Agency