On May 8 of this year, an international round table was held at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy on the topic “Energy Transition: Lessons for Uzbekistan”.

The event was organized by the Center for Energy Diplomacy and Geopolitics at the Institute of Advanced International Studies UWED in partnership with the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, international financial institutions and consulting companies.

The meeting was attended by members of the Senate and deputies of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, representatives of ministries and departments of the republic, experts in the field of the fuel and energy complex, energy security and regional diplomacy, as well as faculty, students and doctoral students of UWED.

The main issue on the agenda was the discussion of strategies and priorities of the national energy development plan for 2020–2030.

Welcoming the participants of the round table, First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, Rector of UWED Sodyq Safoev emphasized that not only meeting the needs of the growing population of the country, but also achieving the high goals set in the economy and the prosperity of Uzbekistan depends on the development of the energy sector.

“Among the priority areas in this area is “green energy”, within the framework of which many large investment projects are being implemented. It is important that increasing the efficiency of the energy industry is relevant for our entire region,” noted S. Safoev.

The Minister of Energy of Uzbekistan, Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov, in his speech, focused on the tasks set by the country's leadership, the goal of which is to create more than 20 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030 and increase its share in the energy balance to 40 percent.

In the discussion, the participants examined the role of Uzbekistan in the context of the global desire for a "green transition", which will require long and consistent efforts to fully implement it with high demand for traditional energy sources. They identified potential solutions and a strategy to ensure reliable and stable energy supply at the intermediate stage of the energy transition, when renewable sources cannot yet completely replace traditional ones, stressed the importance of integrating new technologies and switching to alternative sources, which require time and significant investments in infrastructure and technology, as well as gradual adaptation of the existing energy system.

International experts noted that the Government of Uzbekistan attaches special importance to the energy complex, considering it as the main engine of the country's socio-economic development and that extensive work is underway to deeply modernize and transform the industry, including exploration and development of new fields and optimization of the use of existing resources.

The meeting at UWED became a fruitful platform for the exchange of views, accumulated experience and analysis to develop recommendations aimed at further progress and innovation in the energy sector.