On July 24, the Center for Strategic Connectivity at the Institute for Advanced International Studies hosted an expert webinar titled “Uzbekistan–Georgia: Toward New Horizons of Cooperation”. The event was dedicated to discussing the current state and prospects of Uzbek-Georgian relations in the political, trade and economic, transportation and logistics, and humanitarian spheres. Akram Umarov, Director of the IAIS and First Vice Rector of UWED, delivered the opening remarks.

Experts from Uzbekistan and Georgia participated in the webinar. Georgiy Badridze, a senior researcher at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, presented an assessment of the development of political relations between the two countries in the context of contemporary geopolitical processes, while Vakhtang Maisaya, a professor at the Caucasus International University, examined the trade and economic aspects of the strategic partnership. Nargiza Umarova, Director of the Center for Strategic Connectivity, delivered a presentation on the potential for cooperation between Uzbekistan and Georgia in the development of regional transport and transit corridors.

Special attention was paid to the practical development of the Middle Corridor and to issues related to transforming transport connectivity into a sustainable system of economic interaction. Shota Gelashvili, an expert on trade and transport connectivity, highlighted the practical aspects of the Uzbek-Georgian partnership, while Azamat Seitov, head of the IAIS Laboratory of Anthropology and Conflict Studies, examined the prospects for humanitarian cooperation and civil society interaction between the two countries. In conclusion, the participants exchanged views on opportunities for further strengthening bilateral ties and developing new formats for expert cooperation.