The Forum “Uzbek-Turkish Strategic Vision” was held at UWED
On October 13 this year, the Forum of Strategic Vision of Uzbekistan – Turkey was held at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy. The event was organized by the Institute for Advanced International Studies (IAIS) at UWED together with the Heydar Aliyev Center for Eurasian Studies of Ibn Khaldun University (Istanbul, Turkey) with the support of the MUNIS project grant of the World Bank PRIM.
The forum brought together diplomats, researchers and scientists from the two countries to discuss new aspects of bilateral cooperation, regional security and the transformation of the Turkic world in the context of global changes.
The opening session featured Prof. Sodyq Safoev, First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis and Rector of UWED, Dr. Ufuk Ulutaş, Ambassador of Türkiye to Uzbekistan, Mirvokhid Azimov, Deputy Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States, Prof. Atilla Arkan, President of Ibn Haldun University, and Prof. Mesut Özcan, President of the Diplomacy Academy of the Turkish MFA and Rector of Ankara Social Sciences University. In their welcoming remarks, the speakers emphasized the pivotal importance of educational diplomacy, strategic dialogue, and institutional synergy between Tashkent and Ankara as drivers of long-term partnership and shared prosperity within the Turkic community.
The first session, entitled “Uzbekistan-Turkey: New Horizons of Strategic Cooperation”, was chaired by Odil Gafarov, Deputy Director of IAIS. Discussions underscored the strategic importance of political coordination in Central Asia’s shifting geopolitical environment and analysed Türkiye’s multi-vector diplomacy and its role in shaping Central Asia’s regional identity further explored how digital transformation, infrastructure development, and cultural diplomacy can elevate the Uzbek–Turkish partnership to a new strategic level.
The second session, “Security, Connectivity and Multilateral Relations among Members of the Organization of Turkic States”, chaired by Prof. Yaşar Sarı, examined how the OTS can serve as a collective platform for ensuring regional stability and expanding cross-border cooperation. Speakers discussed security coordination mechanisms within the Turkic world and their alignment with broader Eurasian frameworks, highlighting Türkiye’s accumulated diplomatic experience within Europe as a model for strengthening institutional resilience in the Turkic world. Contributions underscored the need for structured dialogue formats and enhanced multilateral coordination through the OTS to sustain peace, connectivity, and inclusive growth across the region.
The third session, “Navigating a Fragmented Global Order”, was moderated by Prof. Ulugbek Khasanov of UWED. The participants presented a comprehensive analysis of Turkey's adaptive foreign policy strategy in the context of increasing geopolitical fragmentation.
The Forum also hosted book presentations highlighting recent scholarly contributions to Turkic and Uzbek studies.
In their closing remarks, Dr. Akram Umarov First Vice-Rector of UWED and Prof. Yaşar Sarı expressed gratitude to all partners and participants, underlining that the Forum marks a milestone in institutionalizing strategic academic dialogue between Uzbekistan and Türkiye. The event reaffirmed a shared vision of cooperation within the Organization of Turkic States and the broader Eurasian region, a partnership built on mutual trust, cultural kinship, and the pursuit of a more connected and resilient future.