The commission co-chairs are First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture Iliyas Umakhanov and First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sodyq Safayev.
Russian senators took part in the 8th meeting of the Commission on Cooperation between the Federation Council and the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The delegation comprised First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture and Co-Chair of the Russian section of the commission Iliyas Umakhanov, Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Bair Zhamsuyev, member of the Federation Council Committee on Agriculture and Food Policy and Environmental Management Boris Nevzorov, and First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building Vladimir Poletayev.
The meeting was devoted to the most relevant issues of Russia-Uzbekistan interstate cooperation. In particular, the legislators reviewed the state of and prospects for interaction in investment, science, education, tourism and labour migration.
When opening the meeting, Iliyas Umakhanov stated that bilateral relations had recently been developing at a rapid rate.
“Russia is a major investment partner of Uzbekistan. The country hosts accredited representative offices for over 2,100 enterprises with Russian capital, and the total volume of cumulative Russian investment in Uzbekistan’s economy is $12 billion,” the Senator said.
Speaking about cooperation in science and education, the parliamentarian noted the Uzbek authorities’ policy of supporting education in the Russian language and preserving the common cultural and historical heritage: “Given the growing interest in Russian-language education, we are working on allocating additional spots for Uzbek citizens in Russian universities together with the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education.”
According to Iliyas Umakhanov, the creation and educational success of 14 branches of Russian universities in Uzbekistan has become a significant achievement of bilateral educational cooperation.
Iliyas Umakhanov also praised the pace of Russian-Uzbek interaction in tourism.
“We attach great importance to the development of the Muslim tourism market. The segment of Muslim tourists is growing all across the world, and forecasts say that in 2026, there will be 230 million tourists who adhere to the Islamic faith. Our country welcomed the decision by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to declare Khiva the capital of Islamic tourism in 2024,” Iliyas Umakhanov emphasised.
Bair Zhamsuyev reported on the role of the upper chambers of the parliaments of Uzbekistan and Russia in strengthening interfaith and interethnic interaction.
Vladimir Poletayev informed his Uzbek colleagues about the work of the Federation Council Commission on Protecting State Sovereignty and Preventing Interference in the Domestic Affairs of the Russian Federation.
During their work in Makhachkala, the commission members met with the leaders of the Republic of Dagestan and visited Derbent, where they met with the city authorities and learned about the comprehensive restoration and renovation plans for cultural and historical landmarks.
The members of the Commission on Cooperation between the Federation Council and the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan laid wreaths at the memorial for Great Patriotic War participants.
During the working visit, the commission members visited Dagestan State University, where they met with the faculty and students. First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sodyq Safayev was presented the title of honorary professor at Dagestan State University.
An obelisk dedicated to Uzbek builders was unveiled in the Uzbekistan neighbourhood.