As part of the official events held in Samarkand, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. During the conversation, the main topic was the further deepening of multifaceted cooperation and discussion of future prospects.
At the end of the meeting, Audrey Azoulay was presented with the nation’s highest award – the “Friendship” order. This award was presented for her tremendous services in strengthening relations in science, education, and culture, as well as her personal contribution to promoting Uzbekistan’s rich historical and cultural heritage internationally.
During the conversation, Audrey Azoulay expressed gratitude for the organization of the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference taking place in Samarkand. She emphasized the historical significance of the event, noting that for the first time in 40 years, the main forum of the organization is being held outside its headquarters in Paris.
The high level of preparation for the conference and its comprehensive program were highly praised. The session's program includes a series of events reflecting important cooperation.
Among them are the opening of UNESCO's Regional Preschool Education Center in Tashkent, the ceremony of awarding the international prize named after Abu Rayhon Beruni for research in AI ethics, as well as a special event dedicated to the 3000th anniversary of Samarkand. Additionally, it is planned to hold forums dedicated to museum work, the development of artificial intelligence, and ensuring gender equality.
The sides noted with satisfaction the significant achievements in Uzbekistan–UNESCO relations in recent years. Major international conferences have been organized in cooperation, and a prestigious international prize has been established.
Also, the inclusion of the country's new sites and elements of cultural traditions in the World Heritage List and the Intangible Cultural Heritage List of Humanity have been among the important achievements. At the end of the meeting, readiness was affirmed to further strengthen and expand cooperation in priority directions through the implementation of new joint projects.
Samarkand, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as the “Crossroads of Cultures” in 2001, has recently become “older” officially. Based on new archaeological discoveries and interdisciplinary research, the age of the city has been revised from 2750 to 3000 years, and this was officially confirmed in July 2025 by a decision of the Samarkand Regional Council of People’s Deputies.
