The region's first foresight dialogue

We extend our deep gratitude to the European Union Delegations to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan for their sustained and sincere support of this initiative. In particular, two EU delegations funded the participation of experts from other Central Asian countries, creating essential conditions for dialogue and the exchange of experience. We are especially grateful to Toivo Klaar, European Union Ambassador to Uzbekistan, and Yana Kuprisha, Programme Manager at the EU Delegation to Uzbekistan, whose personal attention, trust, and practical support made a decisive contribution to the success of this process.

We would also like to extend special thanks to the World Bank’s Central Asia Water and Energy Program (CAWEP), implemented in partnership with the governments of the European Union, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, for the high-level expert support and constructive cooperation provided in the areas of efficient water use, climate change, and energy. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 of the book were shaped and substantively enriched by the program’s materials and analytical work.

We are sincerely grateful to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for its strategic partnership and its substantial contribution to the in-depth, comprehensive coverage of topics related to human development and social processes. In particular, Chapters 2 and 8, as well as the reference annex on the demography of the five Central Asian republics, are the result of this cooperation. With the Fund’s support, the publication presents scientifically grounded forecasts of the region’s demographic change and offers a consolidated, holistic demographic profile of Central Asia’s population. In this connection, we extend special thanks to Dr. Nigina Abbaszoda, Head of the UNFPA Representation, to the UNFPA Uzbekistan country office team, and to the UNFPA regional office team for their continuous support and effective cooperation in carrying out this initiative.

Chapter 9 — a collection of essays voicing the region’s citizens — was brought to a high standard through the work of its editors, and we extend special gratitude to the editorial team. Dina Iglikova, founder of the Mampassi Collective of Central Asia regional community, and Dr. Siynat Sultonalieva, a community resident and Central Asia researcher, spent a month carefully reviewing more than a hundred essays submitted from across the region and selecting the most deserving among them. Their rigorous analytical commentary became an integral part of the overall discussion and gave the book’s content a personal touch and emotional depth. We offer our sincere thanks for their continuous support, close attention to detail, and invaluable contribution to shaping a meaningful section that gives voice to the region’s citizens.

We would also like to thank the editorial team of Gazeta.uz for publishing the materials and giving wide coverage to the essay competition. It was precisely through their media support that we were able to reach a broader audience and engage a wider range of participants. This book came into being thanks to the support, trust, and joint efforts of many people and organizations. Every contribution — whether intellectual, institutional, expert, or personal — was significant and irreplaceable.