On April 23, the First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Rector of the UWED S. Safoev delivered an open lecture on the topic “Uzbekistan and the Middle East” at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy.

In the introductory part, the lecturer highlighted the historical aspect, noting that Uzbekistan is one of the main centers of Islamic civilization. He stressed that the works of Imam al-Bukhari are recognized as the second most important source after the Qur'an, and the Sufi tariqah of Bahauddin Naqshband has been widely distributed from Central Asia to the Balkans.

Safoev also revealed the politicization of religion in the 20th century and the typology of religious movements, from fundamentalists to radical Islamists. He noted that the fight against extremism is, first of all, an intra-confessional conflict, which requires sustainable economic growth, improved public administration and modernization of the education system.

In his speech, the speaker outlined the key features of the three regional actors. He pointed out that the Arab world controls about 75% of the world's energy resources, making it the “energy core” of the Islamic community. Iran, which has one-tenth of the world's oil reserves and the second-largest gas reserves, is seeking to expand transport and trade ties with Central Asia. Turkey, a member of NATO since 1952, has been active in the region since the early 1990s, although geographical remoteness remains a weak link in its strategy.

In the final part, the lecturer stressed that for Uzbekistan, the "multi-vector" foreign policy remains the key to effective interaction with the Middle East, Iran and Turkey. He also noted that a constructive dialogue between secular institutions and traditional Islam serves as a solid foundation for national security.

After the speech, a Q&A session with students was held.