BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 26. On January 22–23, 2026, the first official visit of the President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Mrs. Aktoty Raimkulova, to the Republic of Uzbekistan took place. This visit marked a significant and historic milestone, symbolizing the beginning of strong and long-term cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation. It followed the important decision on Uzbekistan’s accession to the Foundation as a full member, adopted at the initiative of His Excellency President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev on October 7, 2025, during the Summit of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States held in Gabala, Azerbaijan, TurkicWorld reports.
The key event of the visit was an official meeting between the President of the Foundation and the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Mr. Ozodbek Nazarbekov.
During the meeting, Mrs. Aktoty Raimkulova expressed her sincere gratitude to the Minister for the warm and cordial welcome and emphasized the special significance of Uzbekistan’s membership in the Foundation. Highlighting the country’s rich historical and cultural potential, the President of the Foundation drew attention to Uzbekistan’s large-scale, consistent, and systematic efforts in preserving, developing, and promoting cultural heritage. She also provided the Minister with a detailed overview of the Foundation’s key achievements in 2024–2025 and presented its priority plans and areas of activity for 2026–2027 aimed at strengthening interstate cultural cooperation and implementing joint projects.
Special attention was paid to the Foundation’s participation in the 43rd UNESCO General Conference held on November 4, 2025, in Samarkand, which served as an important international platform for presenting the Foundation’s activities to the global community, strengthening institutional cooperation with UNESCO, and promoting Turkic cultural heritage at the global level.
In turn, the Minister highly praised the Foundation’s active and productive work, expressing appreciation for its initiatives and significant contribution to preserving shared cultural heritage. Particular emphasis was placed on the strategic importance of the project to prepare a multi-volume multilingual collection titled “Heritage of Turkic Folklore”, initiated by President of the Republic of Uzbekistan H.E. Mr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Mr. Ozodbek Nazarbekov also confirmed Uzbekistan’s full readiness to actively and comprehensively participate in the Foundation’s activities, noting strong interest in developing long-term, sustainable, and mutually beneficial cooperation.
As part of the official visit, the President of the Foundation also met with Mr. Tursunali Kuziyev, Deputy Director of the Cultural Heritage Agency under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The meeting addressed the necessity and prospects for developing strong and long-term cooperation between the Foundation and the Agency in preserving, studying, and promoting the cultural heritage of the Turkic world in the context of globalization. Mr. Tursunali Kuziyev emphasized the special importance of the Foundation’s work in safeguarding the rich heritage of our ancestors and passing it on to future generations, highlighting the historical significance of current processes and joint initiatives in the protection and promotion of cultural heritage.
Another major highlight of the official visit was the meeting of the President of the Foundation with representatives of specialized scientific, security, sports, and media organizations of the Republic of Uzbekistan, including the Research Institute of Cultural Studies and Intangible Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture of Uzbekistan, the National Guard of Uzbekistan, the Uzbekistan Polo Federation, the Federation of Horse Breeding and Equestrian Sports of Uzbekistan, the Research Institute for the Development of Livestock and Pastures, and the National Television and Radio Company of Uzbekistan.
During this meeting, Mrs. Iroda Dadazhanova, Deputy Director for Science and Innovation of the Institute, presented for the first time the strategic international project “Karabayir: The Code of Turanian Civilization and World Heritage”. The scientifically grounded interdisciplinary concept, developed at the intersection of hippology, art history, and digital diplomacy, envisions a comprehensive study of Karabayir horses not only as a zootechnical breed but also as a genetic and cultural code of the Turkic peoples. Special attention within the project is devoted to the central role of the horse cult in the spiritual, historical, and cultural value system of Turkic civilization.
The first official visit of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation to the Republic of Uzbekistan became an important milestone in the development of bilateral cooperation and confirmed the high level of mutual understanding and strategic partnership between the parties. It laid a solid foundation for the implementation of joint initiatives, the expansion of international cultural dialogue, and the consolidation of efforts to preserve, study, and promote the rich Turkic heritage at both regional and global levels.
