ASTANA – State Counselor of Kazakhstan Erlan Karin and Assistant to the President of Uzbekistan Saida Mirziyoyeva attended an event organized by the Zakovat Intellectual Club on Aug. 5. The intellectual teams of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan met at the Presidential Center of Culture.
Karin welcomed the event participants and noted that the Zakovat initiative has become another bridge linking the nations, which positively strengthens bilateral cultural and humanitarian ties, as reported by Kazinform.
“It is deeply symbolic that this intellectual competition is taking place on the eve of the state visit of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Kazakhstan. Such projects allow us to exchange experiences and expand the multifaceted ties between the two nations. Saida Shavkatovna does a lot to promote various youth projects, notably, Zakovat,” he said.
Karin expressed confidence that the multifaceted cooperation between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will continue to strengthen for the benefit of the fraternal peoples of the two countries.
Mirziyoyeva noted that young people play an essential role in creative processes and are a key driver of progress.
“We are happy to be visiting our close neighbors. Today we feel at home because we have a lot in common: traditions, customs, culture, food, names, history, religion and hospitality. (…) Today, the friendly relations between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are an example for the whole world. Our leaders were able to find answers to the most pressing questions. While conflicts are smoldering on the planet, the political tandem of Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev strives to turn Central Asia into the safest, most prosperous and friendly region,” she said.
Zakovat (Ingenuity in Uzbek) is an international intellectual movement established in Uzbekistan. In 2023, the number of its permanent members increased by 500,000. More than 7,000 games involving 156,250 teams and nearly 1.15 million participants have been held. To date, dozens of Zakovat international games have taken place in Astana, Almaty, Berlin, Dushanbe and London.
Earlier this day, Mirziyoyeva met with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to discuss promoting a multifaceted partnership between the two countries, focusing on information-ideological, cultural-humanitarian, educational, and youth policy, reported Akorda.
Tokayev outlined the importance of establishing close contacts between the presidential administrations to expand political dialogue at the highest and highest levels effectively.