Tashkent, March 24, 2024, The Europe Today: According to media reports, Ambassador Ulugbek Maksudov of Uzbekistan is concluding his diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia after serving since May 2018.
During his tenure, Ambassador Maksudov played a pivotal role in strengthening the relations between Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia. The past few years witnessed a significant upsurge in bilateral engagements, as evidenced by landmark visits and high-level meetings between the two countries.
Noteworthy among these events were the historic state visit of Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Saudi Arabia on August 17-18, 2022, and his subsequent participation in the inaugural summit of the leaders of Central Asian countries and the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council in Jeddah on July 19, 2023.
These visits laid the groundwork for rapid development across various sectors of cooperation between Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia. The frequency of interactions between the two nations was further augmented by three meetings of the Uzbekistan-Saudi Arabia intergovernmental commission and three rounds of political consultations between their respective foreign ministries.
Trade, economic, and investment collaborations received special emphasis during Ambassador Maksudov’s tenure. Eight business forums and three meetings of the Uzbekistan-Saudi Arabia businessmen’s council facilitated fruitful exchanges between leading companies from both countries, resulting in significant investments from Saudi Arabia in Uzbekistan’s economy, surpassing 30 billion dollars.
Looking ahead, preparations are underway for the second meeting of foreign ministers in Tashkent and the summit of heads of state on the strategic dialogue “Central Asia-Gulf Arab States Cooperation Council” in 2025, underscoring the commitment to further deepen bilateral ties.
Ambassador Maksudov’s contributions extended beyond bilateral relations, as he also served as Uzbekistan’s permanent representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation based in Jeddah.
As Ambassador Maksudov bids farewell to Saudi Arabia, his tenure leaves a lasting legacy of strengthened friendship and cooperation between Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia, paving the way for continued collaboration in the years to come.
