On November 30 of this year, an interactive lecture with the Director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies (ISRS) under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Eldor Aripov was held at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy as part of the special course "Modern International Relations, World Economy and Interests of Uzbekistan". The topic of discussion was cross-border challenges and threats in Central Asia.

Opening the meeting, the First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, Rector of UWED Sodyq Safoev emphasized that modern threats in the world are of a polycrisis nature and have a significant impact on the well-being of each country, including the countries of Central Asia.

In turn, Eldor Aripov noted that Central Asia is a priority of Uzbekistan's foreign policy. He drew attention to the term vital interest, emphasizing that for the survival of the countries of the region, it is necessary to combine efforts and solve common problems regionally.

During the lecture, historical conflicts in Central Asia, their risks, as well as modern approaches to regional cooperation were examined in detail. Particular attention was paid to the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia as an important mechanism for strengthening cooperation. Among the threats discussed were climate change, water issues, weather disasters, extremism and drug trafficking.

During the interactive discussion, Eldor Aripov proposed possible solutions to improve the situation in Central Asia, including deepening political relations between the countries of the region, finding an integration model similar to ASEAN or the European Union, implementing sustainable development strategies and creating conditions for the free movement of capital, labor, goods and services.

A distinctive feature of the lecture was its interactivity. Before discussing each point of the topic, the guest asked questions of the audience, engaging students in dialogue and encouraging them to analyze and develop their own ideas.

The lecture aroused keen interest among the students, deepened their understanding of the modern challenges of Central Asia and provided an opportunity to discuss the current problems of the region with one of the leading experts in this field.