TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, November 4. First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Bakhromjon Aloyev, held a meeting with Member of the Federal Council and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis to discuss the further development of bilateral cooperation and interaction within international organizations, Trend reports.
The Swiss official praised the high-level organization of the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference, currently taking place in Samarkand, and sincerely congratulated the Government of Uzbekistan on this significant achievement.
During the talks, the sides emphasized the priority of expanding trade, economic, and investment cooperation. It was noted that within the framework of the Swiss Federal Government’s Cooperation Program with Central Asia for 2026–2029, several joint projects will be implemented.
The parties also agreed to continue strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation within the UN, UNESCO, OSCE, and other international organizations and financial institutions.
The 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference officially opened on October 30 in Uzbekistan’s historic city of Samarkand and will run through November 13. The agenda includes key decisions on the organization’s future priorities, including the appointment of UNESCO’s next Director-General and the adoption of the first-ever global Recommendation on the Ethics of Neurotechnology.
This is a landmark moment, as it’s the first time in four decades that the UNESCO General Conference has ventured far from its Paris home base. Uzbekistan is currently implementing a five-year cooperation program with UNESCO through 2027. Samarkand, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is globally recognized as a major cultural crossroads along the ancient Silk Road.