The implementation of the international initiatives of the New Uzbekistan is a global recognition of the country's open and pragmatic foreign policy

In recent years, the attention of the international community to Uzbekistan has noticeably increased. The transition to a new model of the country's development in accordance with the Strategy of Action on the five priority Areas of Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2017-2021 and the Development Strategy of the New Uzbekistan in 2022-2026 predetermined a significant transformation of the country's foreign policy. 

The updated foreign policy of our country, carried out today under the leadership of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, acting as an organic continuation of the course of large-scale internal reforms, is pragmatic and strategically verified. 
A number of important measures implemented at the initiative of Uzbekistan aimed both at promoting national interests and solving regional and international development and security problems testify to the increasing role and authority of Uzbekistan as a reliable partner, an active participant in international relations.
As President Shavkat Mirziyoyev stated in his inaugural speech on July 14, Uzbekistan will consistently continue a deeply thought-out foreign policy and economic diplomacy aimed at further strengthening relations of friendship, good neighborliness and strategic partnership with Central Asian states, expanding multifaceted cooperation with countries of the far and near abroad.
The practical results of Uzbekistan's new foreign policy over the past six years have been:
First. Launching a new meaningful regional agenda in Central Asia. Having revised the strategic foundations of bilateral relations with neighbors in favor of strengthening good neighborliness and cooperation, maintaining regional security, promoting trade and economic cooperation, deepening cultural and humanitarian ties with fraternal peoples, Uzbekistan managed to bring relations with the states of the region to a new level.   
The most important contribution to the stable and sustainable development of the Central Asian region was made by the initiative put forward by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to hold regular Consultative Meetings of the heads of Central Asian States. Since 2018, four meetings of heads of state have been held in this format, the fifth will be held on September 14-15, 2023 in Dushanbe.
The launch of this fundamentally new mechanism of interaction contributed to a significant improvement in the political climate in the region, allowed the countries to start a substantive dialogue on enhancing trade and economic cooperation, removing barriers to goods, services and capital. 
In the new conditions, Central Asia is becoming one of the most dynamically developing regions. Over the past 6 years, the combined GDP of the five countries has doubled to $400 billion. At the same time, the share of mutual trade in goods in the total volume of foreign trade turnover in Central Asia is increasing - from 6% in 2014 to 11% in 2022.
The consolidation of the countries of the region contributed to increasing the attractiveness of Central Asia for external partners, expanding cooperation with large states and associations. Thus, the platforms for dialogue with them in the "Central Asia Plus" format increased from 4 in 2017 to 11 in 2023.
Actively promoting the development of regional cooperation in the fields of security, trade, energy, transport and culture, Uzbekistan has launched a number of international initiatives on security, development and interregional relations in Central Asia.
They received support in a number of resolutions of the UN General Assembly: "Strengthening regional and international cooperation to ensure peace, stability and sustainable development in the Central Asian region", "Sustainable tourism and sustainable development in Central Asia", "On declaring the Aral Sea region a zone of environmental innovation and technology", "On strengthening the interconnectedness between Central and Southern Asia." In their adoption by the UN member states, the recognition by the world community of Uzbekistan's practical contribution to strengthening regional stability and sustainable development was manifested.
Second. Since 2017, Uzbekistan has significantly intensified its efforts to develop relations with Afghanistan in the fields of trade, transport, energy, education, and the involvement of this country in regional trade and economic ties.
Tashkent has played a key role in enhancing the participation of Central Asian countries in international stabilization efforts in Afghanistan. Major international conferences on Afghanistan "Peace process, Security Cooperation and Regional Cooperation" (March 2018) and "Afghanistan: Security and Economic Development" (July 2022) were held in Tashkent. Uzbekistan not only contributed to maintaining the attention of the international community to the Afghan problem, but also offered a completely new perception of this country as an integral part of Central Asia and an important link in the projects of interconnectedness between Central and South Asia.
The third. Economic diplomacy has become the most important priority of foreign policy. Uzbekistan has embarked on a more active integration of the country into the international financial, trade and economic space, interregional transport and logistics communications. Tashkent has intensified the negotiation process on joining the WTO, received the status of an observer state in the EAEU and the status of a beneficiary country in the system of preferences of the European Union GSP+. 
Tashkent's cooperation with international and regional financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the EBRD, the Islamic Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, has reached a qualitatively new level.
The key priority of Uzbek economic diplomacy has become the promotion of broad interregional interconnectedness. Major events in this direction were the holding in July 2021 in Tashkent of the High–level International Conference on the Interconnectedness of Central and South Asia and in November 2022 in Samarkand of the international conference "EU - Central Asia" on interconnectedness.
Fourth. Systemic activation of multilateral diplomacy has become an important priority of the New Uzbekistan's foreign policy. In 2017, in the speech of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, a number of major initiatives were put forward, including holding Consultative Meetings of the heads of Central Asian states.   In 2019 Uzbekistan has joined the Turkic Council. In 2020, Tashkent fruitfully presided over the CIS. A major international event was held in September 2022. At the SCO summit in Samarkand, the President of Uzbekistan launched the Samarkand Solidarity Initiative in the name of common security and prosperity. In October 2022, the first summit of the Organization of Turkic States was held in Samarkand.
Uzbekistan's election to the UN Human Rights Council for the period 2021-2023, as well as support by members of the Non-Aligned Movement for Uzbekistan's chairmanship in the organization in 2027-2029, reflected the growing potential of Tashkent's multilateral diplomacy.
In general, in recent years, Uzbekistan has put forward more than 80 proposals on strengthening regional security and economic cooperation, sustainable development of Central Asia on multilateral platforms. At the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan, a number of major international conferences were held on the formation of international transport corridors in the region, solving the problem of Afghanistan, strengthening the interconnectedness of Central and South Asia, unlocking the potential and participation of young people in global affairs. 
The active participation of heads of State and government, heads of foreign ministries and international organizations of many countries in them testifies to the growing organizational potential of Uzbek diplomacy and the attractiveness of pragmatic regional and international initiatives put forward by Tashkent.
Uzbekistan's key foreign policy partners, including leading countries and associations, actively support Uzbekistan's foreign policy, primarily initiatives to develop regional cooperation in Central Asia, as well as Tashkent's efforts to resolve the situation in Afghanistan and involve this country in regional ties. Such assessments are included in joint statements, expressed at press conferences and during bilateral official contacts.
The importance of Uzbekistan's regional policy and other international initiatives of our country is noted by foreign experts. Thus, Kyrgyz researcher Bayram Toktogulov believes that, "thanks to the vision of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's foreign policy, the system of interstate relations has been transformed in Central Asia, an understanding of joint solutions to existing problems has appeared in the region. Tashkent has managed to form a balanced partnership and cooperation with regional and world powers and international organizations and bring relations to a fundamentally new level. His foreign policy approach, together with internal reforms, has strengthened the international image of Uzbekistan."
According to the well-known American expert Frederick Starr, founder of the Institute of Central Asia and the Caucasus, Uzbekistan managed to "lead regional efforts to establish functional relations" with the interim government in Kabul. Another expert on the region, Professor Zhao Huasheng of Fudan University (China), considers President Shavkat Mirziyoyev "the main initiator of the current round of integration of Central Asia." 

Alexander Vorobyov, an expert at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, notes a significant increase in Uzbekistan's activity through international organizations. In recent years, at the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, several resolutions concerning international, regional cooperation and interfaith harmony have been adopted within the framework of the UN. According to the expert, Uzbekistan should be expected to put forward new initiatives in the UN related to the interests of Uzbekistan itself, and at the same time relevant for a wide range of other states.
Thus, the successful formation of Uzbekistan's image as a responsible and active participant in international relations is obvious. The initiatives promoted by Tashkent and widely recognized are aimed not only at effectively ensuring national interests, but also strengthening stability and prosperity in the Central Asian region, solving common problems of maintaining security and development facing the countries of the world. 

Daniyar Kurbanov, 
Director of the Information and Analytical Center for International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan,
Zilola Yunusova, 
Head of the Department of the Information and Analytical Center for International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan.