Yesterday at UNESCO headquarters, the newly appointed Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan Kamol Mukhtarov presented his credentials to the Director General of the organization, Audrey Azoulay, reports a correspondent of “Dunyo” information agency.
During the conversation held at the end of the ceremonial part, Audrey Azoulay recalled with particular warmth her meetings with the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev during her visits to the cities of Tashkent and Samarkand.
The parties discussed in detail the current state and prospects for further development of cooperation between Uzbekistan and this authoritative institution of the UN system in all areas of its mandate.
The head of UNESCO highly appreciated the noticeable intensification of Uzbekistan’s participation in the activities of the organization’s governing bodies. In 2022, our country was elected as a member of the International Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The importance of promoting the republic’s candidacy in the elections to the Executive Council, which will be held in November, was noted.
The gala concert and exhibition dedicated to the 1050th anniversary of the great scientist and thinker Abu Rayhon Beruni, successfully held at the UNESCO headquarters in early September, was noted with deep satisfaction. The Director General expressed her readiness to promote the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to establish the UNESCO/Uzbekistan Prize named after Abu Rayhon Beruni.
Audrey Azoulay welcomed the proposal of Uzbekistan to organize the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand in 2025. It was noted that the city of Samarkand, which is a pearl of world cultural heritage, has already become a center hosting major international events.
Let us recall that Kamol Mukhtarov replaced Umid Shodiev, who headed the Permanent Delegation to UNESCO in 2018-2023 and was appointed in July as Chairman of the Tourism Committee under the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of Uzbekistan.
The new Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan to UNESCO is 42 years old. He graduated from Samarkand State University and the Diplomatic Academy of London. Since 2007, he worked in the system of the ministries of investment, industry and trade, economy, foreign affairs, and worked as an adviser to the Embassy of Uzbekistan in the USA. Since 2019, he has held senior positions in the Administration of the President of Uzbekistan.
