On September 19, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan delivered a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he reassured the global community of his personal commitment to ongoing economic reforms in Uzbekistan.

These reforms have the ambitious goal of doubling the size of the country’s economy by 2030. Mirziyoyev also held first-ever talks with US President Joe Biden, during which the two leaders discussed the prospects of cooperation between Tashkent and Washington, as well as regional cooperation in Central Asia.

The top-level meetings between the leaders in the United States were designed to strengthen Uzbekistan’s global position and convey the message that Uzbekistan is not only a post-Soviet Central Asian nation, but a promising player on the global trade, investment and political map.

Uzbekistan has been undergoing significant transformation since Mirziyoyev took office as president in 2016. In just a few years, this former Soviet republic and home to about 36 million people has improved its business climate, attracted foreign investors, and strengthened its economic and diplomatic relationships with the global community.

With Mirziyoyev recently re-elected for a new seven-year term, experts anticipate that the country will continue its reform efforts and further strengthen its ties with major economies, including the United States.

Embracing independence

At the first-ever C5+1 summit in New York on September 19, which brought together leaders from the Central Asian nations Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, Mirziyoyev held substantive talks with Biden regarding cooperation.

The Central Asian nations are now gradually emerging as increasingly independent players on the global political stage, attracting interest from the largest economic powers. As the president of the region’s most populous country, Shavkat Mirziyoyev plays a key role in forming the foreign policy of the C5 countries, which is shaped based upon fundamental issues.

Since he became a president seven years ago, relations among the C5 countries have also largely returned to normal.

Source: Asia Times

The post Uzbekistan Aims to Strengthen Its Global Position appeared first on Tashkent Citizen.