Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan

PERSPECTIVES OF INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL COOPERATION

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed participants of the event!

Uzbekistan highly values cultural diplomacy and actively collaborates with international organizations. By studying Uzbekistan's international experience in the field of cultural cooperation, one can understand how the country follows modern cultural trends while remaining unique.

Thus, cooperation between Uzbekistan and UNESCO has reached a new level in recent years. Next year, the 43rd session of the General Conference of UNESCO will be held in Samarkand. It is important to note that for the first time in over 40 years, the UNESCO General Assembly session will be held outside of Paris.

Uzbekistan's participation in the Islamic World Organization for Education, Science, and Culture (ISESCO) helps to establish a dialogue between our peoples and emphasizes the Islamic approach to solving modern problems.

The initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to hold the "Cultural Heritage of the CIS Countries" conference in Tashkent in 2021 demonstrates a desire to strengthen cultural and humanitarian ties between CIS countries.

It is well known that globalization is currently impacting all areas of life, including culture.

As part of globalization, the culture and cultural heritage of peoples may be under threat for several reasons:

First, cultural unification: Globalization accelerates the spread of mass culture, which may lead to the loss of unique traditions and customs, as national culture is replaced by more popular global trends.

Second, commercialization: Cultural values may be simplified or altered for profit in sectors such as tourism, which leads to the loss of their true meaning and significance.

Third, language loss: Languages, especially small and rare ones, may disappear as people increasingly switch to more widely spoken global languages in order to integrate into global processes.

Thus, cultural diversity and identity of peoples may be greatly affected by global processes.

Considering the above, Uzbekistan is adding elements of its cultural heritage, such as "Lazgi," "Bakhshi," "Shashmakom," "Katta Ashula," "Plov Culture and Traditions," and "Navruz," to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Cultural cooperation is a powerful tool for building friendly and mutually beneficial relations between countries. It is no secret that Uzbekistan's experience in international cultural cooperation through the use of "soft power" is attractive to many countries around the world.

We strive to respect, support, and develop the culture of peoples of different religions, nationalities, and ethnicities. We understand that it is important now to take measures to pass on the experience and cultural heritage to the next generations.

Thus, cooperation in the field of culture contributes not only to the preservation of our cultural code and the popularization of our heritage but also to the strengthening of peace and mutual understanding between different countries. This is especially important in our time when the world faces many challenges and changes.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!