TASHKENT, March 4 (Xinhua) -- A high-level international conference on the implementation of the United Nations (UN) Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia opened in the Uzbek capital on Thursday.
In his welcoming speech, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed opening a branch of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office in the Central Asian region.
"It is obvious that the further successful implementation of the counter-terrorism strategy in the region requires the strengthening of mechanisms for continuous monitoring and critical evaluation ... coordination of interaction between the countries of Central Asia," he said.
Mirziyoyev also noted the importance of forming a unified electronic network to counter regional cyberterrorism.
The two-day event, proposed by Mirziyoyev during the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, is co-organized by the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry, the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
The conference has gathered over 600 senior officials and leading experts from Central and South Asia, the European Union and the Middle East, together with representatives of international and regional organizations, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. ■