Uzbekistan’s capital hosts international space technology conference

By Bahtiyar Abdulkerimov

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (AA) - A two-day space technology conference began on Tuesday in Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent.

More than 200 experts and officials from nearly 30 countries attended the Space Technology Conference - Central Eurasia, organized by Uzbekspace Agency.

Speaking at the conference, Shermatov Sherzod Xotamovich, Uzbekistan's development of information technologies and communications minister, said the government attaches great importance to the development of space technologies, adding that his country wants to benefit from the experience of international organizations and foreign countries in the development of space technologies in Uzbekistan.

"President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has assigned us to transform Uzbekistan into a regional information technology center. This conference, attended by many experts and officials from many countries across the world, is considered one of the important steps taken towards the fulfillment of this task. Although Uzbek Kosmos is a new institution, it has very big goals," Xotamovich added.

The conference aims to bring together the national space agencies from across Central Eurasia and the international space community to discuss investment in space technology for the sustainable socioeconomic development of the region with a focus on satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Serdar Huseyin Yildirim, the head of the Turkish Space Agency, said great scholars such as Ali Qushji, Ulugh Beg, and Al-Farghani, who made important contributions to the development of astronomy, were raised in these lands.

Yildirim said that this is an “important” conference for all the countries in the region, adding that opportunities for cooperation will emerge from the event.