ISRS strengthens expert cooperation with partners in Qatar

ISRS strengthens expert cooperation with partners in Qatar

On October 19–21, 2026, Eldor Aripov, Director of the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS), took part in the 8th Global Security Forum (Global Security Forum 2026) in Doha, which was dedicated to topical issues of international security and prospects for the development of global cooperation.

Within the framework of the forum, E. Aripov held a series of meetings with representatives of government bodies and heads of think tanks in Qatar. The focus was on expanding expert ties, promoting Uzbekistan's initiatives, and further strengthening bilateral cooperation.

In particular, during negotiations with the General Manager of the Doha Forum, Maha Al-Kuwari, prospects for more active participation of Uzbekistan in the work of this international platform were discussed.

M. Al-Kuwari expressed interest in a broad representation of Uzbek approaches to topical issues on the international and regional agendas. The parties agreed to continue active interaction in this direction.

The Doha Forum is a leading global platform for discussing international trends, diplomatic initiatives, and sustainable development strategies. Since its founding in 2002, the forum has become a space bringing together world leaders, representatives of international organizations, think tanks, and the academic community.

In 2025, as part of the Doha Forum, ISRS, together with Georgetown University, organized a separate session dedicated to the Termez Dialogue — an initiative launched by Uzbekistan aimed at shaping a new connectivity architecture between Central and South Asia through the active involvement of Afghanistan.

One of the important areas of the meetings was the development of institutional cooperation between ISRS and Qatari research structures, aimed at developing joint analytical approaches and practical proposals in the interests of strengthening the Uzbek-Qatari strategic partnership.

Thus, at a meeting with the Executive Director of the Global Institute for Strategic Studies, Muhammad Ali Chihi, an agreement was reached to sign a memorandum of cooperation between the two institutes. The signing of the document is scheduled on the sidelines of the upcoming Doha Forum.

The Global Institute for Strategic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Qatar Foundation for Education) is an interdisciplinary think tank engaged in the study of international and regional challenges and the development of strategic recommendations. Among the priority areas of its activity are conflict resolution, the energy and climate agenda, artificial intelligence, Afghan issues, and the development of transport and logistics connectivity.

In turn, during a conversation with the Director of the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, Ghassan Elkahlout, possibilities for establishing partnership ties with ISRS were considered. The Qatari side expressed interest in establishing expert cooperation on issues of mutual interest.

The Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, established in 2016 within the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies — one of the largest analytical institutions in the region — specializes in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and humanitarian response. The main areas of its activity include interfaith dialogue, Afghan issues and regional security, post-conflict reconstruction, and the training of specialists in the field of mediation and humanitarian law.

Overall, the meetings held made it possible to strengthen ISRS's contacts with Qatari partners, reach concrete agreements on the development of institutional cooperation, and outline prospects for further expert interaction. This creates additional opportunities for promoting Uzbekistan's initiatives on international dialogue platforms and further strengthening Uzbek-Qatari relations of strategic partnership.