Uzbekistan to Host Inaugural Central Asia-GCC Think Tank Forum

On April 28-29, 2025, Tashkent will host the First Central Asia - Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Think Tank Forum, focused on the theme “Strengthening Strategic Partnership: From Historical Ties to Comprehensive Cooperation.”

The event is organized by the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Saudi Arabian Gulf Research Center, The Caspian Post reports citing Uzbek media.

The Forum will bring together over 70 leading experts from Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) and the GCC countries (Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain). This event will be a significant milestone in strengthening cooperation between these two large macro-regions. Representatives of the GCC Secretariat, the diplomatic corps, and the business community have also been invited to attend.

The forum participants will discuss key aspects of current and future interaction between the Central Asian and Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The focus will be on strengthening political dialogue and coordinated approaches to ensuring regional security, deepening trade and investment ties, implementing promising projects in green energy, and developing transport corridors.

Particular emphasis will be placed on developing practical initiatives that can give interregional partnership a qualitatively new dynamic and reveal the potential for joint development of countries.

Photo: uza.uz

The main expected results include adopting a joint statement and signing memorandums of cooperation between think tanks of Central Asian and the GCC countries. These documents are expected to lay the foundation for establishing systemic interaction between the expert communities of the two regions.

In addition, the recommendations developed will be an important contribution to enriching the agenda of the Second Summit of Leaders of the Countries in the “CA-GCC” format, which is planned to be held in Samarkand.

The upcoming forum will help strengthen the long-term partnership between Central Asia and the Gulf countries, revive the common historical heritage, and set new guidelines for improving multifaceted dialogue.