The Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan expands cooperation with leading museums in China.
At the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Beijing, a new cooperation program between the Center for Islamic Civilization and China's leading museums was presented.
A cultural-educational and media event on the theme "Uzbekistan — China: Dialogue of Civilizations and Common Heritage" was held at the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the People's Republic of China. A new program of cooperation between the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan and China's leading museums, scientific institutions, and cultural organizations was presented.
The event, organized with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, was attended by over 200 representatives of the diplomatic corps, state agencies, heads of leading museums, specialists from research institutes, archaeologists, art historians, cultural figures, mass media, and the expert communities of the two countries.
A documentary film was shown to the participants, telling about the establishment of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, initiated by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, its unique concept, main exhibitions, scientific and educational activities, and its international mission aimed at studying, preserving, and promoting the rich heritage of Islamic civilization.
The main theme of the meeting was dedicated to developing cooperation between Uzbekistan and China in the field of studying, preserving, and popularizing cultural heritage. The parties presented plans for organizing joint museum exhibitions, archaeological research and expeditions, implementing scientific publishing projects, creating multimedia exhibitions, developing expert exchange programs, and educational initiatives.
Special attention was also paid to joint efforts in identifying, studying, and promoting historical and cultural monuments reflecting the centuries-old ties between the peoples of Uzbekistan and China, formed through the Great Silk Road.
At the event, congratulatory speeches were delivered by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the People's Republic of China, Farhod Arziyev; the Director of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan, Firdavs Abdukholiqov; the Director of the National Center for Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Farhod Maksudov; as well as representatives of leading scientific institutions of China and participants of the Uzbekistan-China joint archaeological expedition.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties expressed interest in further expanding scientific, museum, and cultural cooperation, emphasizing that the collaboration of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan with leading Chinese institutions serves as an important platform for implementing new international projects and strengthening humanitarian partnership between the two countries.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the People's Republic of China, Farhod Arziyev, in his speech:
"Today, Uzbekistan-China relations have reached an unprecedentedly high level. The solid foundation of comprehensive strategic partnership rests on the close, sincere, and friendly relations between the leaders of our countries — President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping," he emphasized.
According to him, humanitarian cooperation and cultural diplomacy are among the most important areas of bilateral relations, and joint projects in science and culture are giving new practical meaning to this partnership.
During the event, it was particularly noted that the Center for Islamic Civilization, established on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, is becoming an international platform uniting museums, scientific institutes, archives, libraries, and research centers from various countries for the purpose of preserving, studying, and promoting common cultural heritage.
Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Khan Sukheil, stated:
"Today we were fortunate to witness a historic event. A large-scale presentation of the magnificent Center for Islamic Civilization, established in Tashkent, was held in Beijing. It has already become a center of global importance. With a special feeling of affection for Uzbekistan, I can say that my best student years were spent in this country. Therefore, I know well that this project was a cherished dream of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Its implementation has demonstrated to the whole world the essence of the idea of building a New Uzbekistan and the spirit of great civilizations."
As noted, the agreements reached with Chinese partners create broad opportunities for implementing joint exhibitions, scientific research, publishing and educational projects, as well as introducing modern museum technologies.
Secretary-General of the Beijing International Dialogue Club, Han Hua, stated:
"Uzbekistan is considered one of the important centers of world culture and art. This is especially evident in New Uzbekistan. This is, first and foremost, the result of the wise policy of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. He is lovingly promoting to the whole world that his country is a land of rich cultural and spiritual heritage, where great scholars of humanity lived and created, making a huge contribution to the advancement of world science and enlightenment," he emphasized.
Another important event of the gathering was the opening of two permanent exhibitions at the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the People's Republic of China. One is a photo exhibition titled "New Uzbekistan", dedicated to the country's modern development, while the other is a book exhibition featuring scientific publications of the World Society for the Study, Preservation and Popularization of the Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan (WOSCU), dedicated to the history, cultural heritage of Uzbekistan, and the activities of the Center for Islamic Civilization.
— We see a unique harmony in the great efforts of the esteemed President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping to widely promote to the international community that the territories of Uzbekistan and China are the cradle and true heirs of great civilizations. It is precisely based on the architectural vision of our heads of state that the Archaeology Museum was established in Beijing today, and the Center for Islamic Civilization in Tashkent. As noted by Chinese delegations who had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the activities of the Center for Islamic Civilization, the exhibitions of the world's largest museum of Islamic civilization vividly depict pre-Islamic civilizations, the First and Second Renaissance periods, as well as the path of construction of New Uzbekistan. Therefore, it is no coincidence that this center was included in the Guinness World Records. In the near future, our organizations will establish partnership relations and begin implementing major joint research projects, said Liu Guoxiang, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of History and Director of the Archaeology Museum.
This event concluded the working visit of the delegation of the Center for Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan to the People's Republic of China. During the visit, the delegation held meetings and negotiations with the leadership of a number of the country's leading museums and scientific institutions. In particular, cooperation issues were discussed at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, the National Museum of China, the Chinese Archaeology Museum, the Palace Museum (Gugong), the Shaanxi History Museum, and the Harbin Museum.
At the end of the visit, a number of memorandums on cooperation were signed, and agreements were reached on implementing joint exhibitions, scientific research, museum, and educational projects.
One of the most important outcomes of the visit was the identification of unique exhibits related to Sogdian culture and other valuable artifacts connected with the history of the territory of modern Uzbekistan in Chinese museums and private collections.
Furthermore, the parties agreed to implement a new program of joint projects on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the People's Republic of China. This program envisages the preparation of a scientific album dedicated to the cultural heritage of Uzbekistan preserved in Chinese collections, organizing reciprocal exhibitions, expanding museum cooperation, and developing joint scientific research.
The outcomes of the visit once again confirmed the readiness of Uzbekistan and China to elevate cooperation in the field of studying, preserving, and popularizing cultural heritage to a qualitatively new level. The parties expressed their commitment to consistently implement long-term joint museum, scientific, educational, and cultural projects.
