Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 28
By Kamila Aliyeva – Trend:
A meeting between Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Secretary-General of World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Taleb Rifai was held Aug. 27, according to the information published on the website of Uzbek Foreign Ministry.
Rifai arrived to Uzbekistan in order to participate in the international conference "Central Asian Renaissance in the history of world civilization" in the city of Samarkand.
At the meeting, Uzbek leader noted the dynamic and fruitful cooperation with the specialized UN institute in the field of tourism.
Promising areas of further expansion of practical cooperation in the field of tourism were discussed.
Particular attention was paid to the implementation of coordinated measures to popularize the tourist destination in Uzbekistan and the Central Asian region, the development of new types of tourism and the development of demanded tourism products as well as the creation of modern international infrastructure.
Rifai in turn noted that the World Tourism Organization intends to actively support and participate in programs and projects for the development of tourism in Uzbekistan.
Earlier, Secretary-General held a meeting with Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov.
The meeting underlined the mutual interest in the consistent realization of the existing potential of cooperation, based on the rich historical, architectural, cultural heritage of the Uzbek people.
The parties also discussed the establishment of the Regional Commission for Central Asia under UNWTO and other topics of mutual interest.
Uzbekistan has been participating in the operation of UNWTO since 1993.
At the initiative of Uzbekistan, UNWTO adopted a number of documents including the Samarkand Declaration on the Development of Tourism on the Great Silk Road (1995), the Khiva Declaration on Tourism and the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (1999) and the Bukhara Declaration on Tourism along the Silk Road (2002), which stimulated the development of tourism in the region.