Uzbekistan to chair CIS in 2027: Mirziyoyev outlines priority areas

**Uzbekistan to chair the CIS in 2027: Mirziyoyev outlines priorities**

Uzbekistan will chair the Commonwealth of Independent States in 2027. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev outlined the priority areas during the country's chairmanship at the summit of the CIS heads of state.

The meeting, held in an expanded format, was also attended by the honorary guest of the summit — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized that during Uzbekistan's chairmanship, special attention will be paid to issues that yield concrete and tangible results. These areas cover the economy, new technologies, transport, security, education, science, and human potential development.

Uzbekistan's chairmanship of the CIS will be held under the slogan "CIS — a space of trust and common development." Currently, the concept of the chairmanship and the plan of activities are being prepared. It envisages the implementation of more than 100 concrete events.

The President noted the importance of maintaining and strengthening political dialogue within the Commonwealth. He stated that at a time when the situation in the world is becoming increasingly complex, it is necessary to preserve the opportunity for countries to calmly discuss any issue, listen to each other, and seek mutually acceptable solutions.

In economic cooperation, it was proposed to focus primarily on industrial cooperation. It was emphasized that combining the production potential, resources, technologies, and markets of the CIS countries, creating joint production capacities, and establishing stable supply chains will yield even greater economic benefits for all participants. At the same time, the need to remove barriers hindering trade between the countries was mentioned.

Digital and advanced technologies will also be among the priorities of Uzbekistan's chairmanship. Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed that the CIS countries should jointly develop their competencies and implement joint projects in the fields of critical minerals, artificial intelligence, robotization, new materials, and modern energy technologies.

The transport sector will also receive special attention. Noting that Central Asia is becoming an important transport hub between East and West, North and South, the need to simplify transit procedures and form convenient, safe, and economically beneficial routes was expressed.

Ensuring security and stability was also defined as one of the key directions of Uzbekistan's chairmanship. The President noted that threats such as terrorism, extremism, and cybercrime have already transcended the borders of individual states. In particular, it was stated that special attention will be paid to strengthening cooperation against cybercrime, which directly affects ordinary citizens, businesses, banks, and state systems.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev also pointed to people-to-people contacts as one of the most important directions. The need to expand opportunities for students, young professionals, scientists, researchers, and creative professionals to communicate, learn from each other, and participate in joint projects was emphasized.

"At the center of all our activities must be the human being, their dignity, interests, and the realization of their potential. Only then will the CIS be perceived as a space where one can study, work, create new projects, find partners, and build one's future," the President said.

At the conclusion of the summit, a package of agreements and decisions on priority areas of cooperation within the CIS was signed. Uzbekistan, during its chairmanship in 2027, aims to preserve the mechanisms that have proven their effectiveness in the Commonwealth and to give additional momentum to areas requiring new solutions.