International Cultural Forum “Central Asia at the Crossroads of World Civilizations” has kicked off in Khiva.
The event is held under the patronage of UNESCO at the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, which was put forward at the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly in September 2020.
UNESCO Director-General Ms. Audrey Azoulay supported the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan and stated that this forum corresponds to the history of Central Asia as a crossroads of civilizations and its current vitality.
The Forum aims to become an important platform for further exploration of the contribution of commercial, scientific and cultural exchanges to the development of the heritage of Central Asia, modern sciences, as well as social and human sciences. More than 300 cultural and scientific workers, researchers of archeology, history, cultural heritage from 60 countries of the world, over 100 representatives of national and foreign media are taking part in it.
At the official opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Tourism and Sports Aziz Abdukhakimov read out the Message of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the participants of the forum.
Ms. Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences, Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, ICESCO Director General have delivered a video message to the participants. The Director General of the International Center for the Study of Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) Webber Ndoro, Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan Anar Karimov, Secretary General of the Turkic Council Baghdad Amreyev and other officials delivered speeches.
After the opening ceremony, the work continued at the breakout sessions dedicated to the discussion of issues on the contribution of commercial, scientific and cultural exchanges to the development of the heritage of Central Asia, the contribution of the cultural and scientific heritage of Central Asia to the development of modern social and humanitarian sciences.
On September 16, a meeting of the Permanent Council of Ministers of Culture of the International Organization of Turkic Culture, TURKSOY, will also take place in Khiva. A report about events within the framework of “Khiva – the cultural capital of the Turkic world”, a presentation on the cultural capital of TURKSOY in 2022, the election of TURKSOY Secretary General in 2021-2024 will be considered at the meeting.