November 8, 2024. An international conference on "India's Relations with Central, South and Southeast Asia: Challenges and Opportunities" organized by MERI Group Institutions was held in New Delhi. The conference was attended by the leadership of India-Central Asia Foundation, former Deputy Foreign Ministers of India, as well as Ambassadors of Central Asian countries accredited in India and representatives of think tanks of Southeast Asian countries.

During the first part of the conference, in accordance with the agreement reached, the Diplomatic Academy together with the India-Central Asia Foundation held a presentation of the book "Indo-Uzbek Perspectives on Connectivity between South and Central Asia". The book was prepared on the initiative of the Diplomatic Academy at the UWED in cooperation with the India-Central Asia Foundation. The presentation of the book was organized in support of the initiative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sh.M.Mirziyoyev on development of cooperation between Central and South Asia, put forward during the international conference "Central and South Asia: Regional Interconnectedness. Challenges and Opportunities" in Tashkent in 2021.

The book was published in Uzbek and Russian languages by the Diplomatic Academy at the University of World Economy and Diplomacy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The English version of the book was published in New Delhi by the India-Central Asia Foundation. The foreword to this joint publication was written by the First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Rector of the UWED S. Safoyev and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of India and former Ambassador of India to Uzbekistan Gitesh Sharma.

This joint work by Uzbek and Indian scholars reflects the fundamental approach of Uzbek President Sh. M. Mirziyoyev and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the development of bilateral and interregional cooperation and focuses on topics that are becoming increasingly relevant in today's world, covering history, politics, economics, investment, security and culture. Undoubtedly, the publication of this book will contribute to greater mutual understanding between the parties in a rapidly changing world.

The second part of the conference focused on economic ties, the role of soft power in strengthening cooperation, political relations and regional geopolitics, as well as possible options for the development of cooperation between India, Central Asia and Southeast Asia.

Participants of the conference, including former Indian ambassadors to Uzbekistan Ashok Sharma, Gitesh Sharma, as well as representatives of think tanks of India and Southeast Asian countries, expressed a common point of view on the need to further develop interregional cooperation that meets the interests of the countries of these regions.