Uzbekistan appoints its first ambassador to Sri Lanka

The newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Uzbekistan to Sri Lanka, Alisher Tukhtayev (with residence in Islamabad), presented copies of his credentials to Sri Lanka’s Chief of State Protocol, Rohana Ambagolla. This was reported by Dunyo.

At the start of the meeting, Rohana Ambagolla expressed sincere gratitude to the leadership of Uzbekistan for appointing its first ambassador to Sri Lanka. She noted that this step is an important political decision aimed at strengthening friendly relations between the two countries and will give new momentum to cooperation.

Sri Lanka also confirmed its openness to new formats of cooperation with Uzbekistan and highly appreciated President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s initiatives to enhance engagement with the Global South, ensure food security, and improve regional connectivity.

The Sri Lankan official expressed confidence that Alisher Tukhtayev’s activities in Colombo would create a solid foundation for systematic and effective cooperation in all areas.

During the meeting, a detailed exchange of views was held on strengthening economic diplomacy, as well as the prospects for mutual trade and economic relations. It was noted that the current bilateral trade turnover remains unsatisfactory, and both sides agreed to take concrete measures to increase this figure to $50 million shortly.

They also discussed joint efforts to develop transport and logistics solutions to boost export and import volumes, as well as initiatives to create and launch online platforms and programs using modern information technologies.

For reference, Alisher Tukhtayev graduated from the Tashkent State Law Institute (now Tashkent State Law University) and has held various key positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President, and the Presidential Administration. He also served as an advisor and later as deputy chairman of the Association of Cotton and Textile Clusters of Uzbekistan. Before his current appointment, he worked as an advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan.

It should be noted that Alisher Tukhtayev is also the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Uzbekistan to Pakistan. He presented his credentials to President Asif Ali Zardari at the Aiwan-e-Sadr Palace in Islamabad on October 28, 2024.