H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, received Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), at the Presidential Palace on Thursday, 30 May 2024, and discussed ways to enhance cooperation between ICESCO and Uzbekistan in areas of common interest.

At the outset of the meeting, which was attended by the Minister of Culture and the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, H.E. President Mirziyoyev praised ICESCO’s roles and initiatives over the past years, stressing his appreciation for the Organization’s cooperation with Uzbekistan and the announcement of Samarkand as Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for 2025.

For his part, Dr. AlMalik applauded the efforts and commitment of H.E. President Mirziyoyev to environmental protection, noting ICESCO’s past participation in the 27th and 28th sessions of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Sharm El-Sheikh and Dubai respectively, and its upcoming participation with a large pavilion in COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijani, next September.

During the meeting, Dr. AlMalik expressed his wish to hold the Samarkand Capital of Culture celebration under the patronage of H.E., the President of Uzbekistan and to have the opening ceremony in his presence. Furthermore, Dr. AlMalik proposed that Uzbekistan host ICESCO’s joint conference of ministers of environment and culture in the Islamic world to discuss the effects of climate change on heritage and archaeological sites and mechanisms to harness modern technology to protect them, to which H.E. the President expressed his agreement.

Moreover, Dr. AlMalik called on Uzbekistan to establish its National Commission to follow up on partnership programs and projects with ICESCO and to cooperate in holding an international conference on Al-Bukhari’s life, biography and publications, with the presence of a large number of Muslim scholars, to shed light on Uzbekistan as one of the centers of Islamic civilization, which gave birth to several scholars who contributed to human civilization. H.E., the President, appreciated and gave his agreement in principle for the implementation of the said proposals.

The meeting also discussed the inscription of Uzbekistan’s heritage on ICESCO’s lists of heritage in the Islamic world and the development of cooperation between the Organization and Uzbekistani competent bodies in education, youth, women and environment.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnership and International Cooperation Sector.