00:01There are so many aspects that we can learn from this heritage and from this civilisation,
00:07especially in today's volatile world.
00:11Interactions between civilisations have always taken place.
00:15It's not something new.
00:16We need to draw on it, leverage these interactions
00:20to pass it on to the next generation and build a culture of peace.
00:27For centuries, Uzbekistan has been a crossroads of ideas, scholarship and discovery.
00:33That rich history and its legacy were at the heart of a recent gathering at UNESCO in Paris.
00:40Initiatives like today's forum can reinforce the intercultural dialogue.
00:44I'm talking about the shared cultural legacies.
00:48Knowing this cultural legacy, knowing this history,
00:52can help us build trust between the people of different cultures,
00:56making a better future for all of us.
00:59Civilisations are not growing in isolation.
01:02We cross-fertilise each other and it is a message that we need to share
01:07to see that we have much more in common than elements that separate us.
01:11UNESCO is a very important part of the work of the UNESCO.
01:16We have been working with the people of the UNESCO,
01:19and the people of the UNESCO, and the people of the UNESCO,
01:21and the people of the UNESCO, and the people of the UNESCO.
01:25A central feature of the meeting at UNESCO was Uzbekistan's new centre of Islamic civilisation.
01:32Initiated by the country's president in 2017,
01:35the flagship project in Tashkent brings together the nation's rich cultural and intellectual heritage.
01:42In this centre, there is a absolutely extraordinary museum
01:47that reflects all of this great history.
01:50And in this sense, I think that education is a big step ahead for the people of Uzbekistan,
01:57and for the whole world,
01:59to be able to see all of these magnificent objects
02:04that have been repertoried in this museum,
02:06it is extraordinary and unique.
02:08Uzbekistan is one of the key, let's say, countries along the historic Silk Road,
02:13at the heart of Central Asia.
02:15These centres, like the Uzbekistan Islamic Civilisation Centre,
02:19can help us to identify, to document,
02:22and also to promote our shared past, our shared history.
02:39The Islamic Civilisation Centre of Islamic Civilisation Centre of Islamic Civilisation,
02:42several new research institutes across Uzbekistan,
02:44are also helping to deepen understanding of the region's legacy.
02:48The emergence of the many centres around Uzbekistan,
02:53like the Centre for Islamic Civilisation,
02:55the Al-Bukhari Memorial Centre,
02:57Imam Kermidi Memorial Centre,
02:59are shedding light into this cultural heritage,
03:02and by every passing day, we see more and more efforts,
03:06and we look forward to much more.
03:08The question of whether cultural artefacts should be returned to their countries of origin,
03:12also came into focus.
03:14It is a difficult process. Not many countries necessarily agree to give back
03:21something that they owned throughout the times and the ages, but it is happening.
03:26I think it is very important that these artefacts go to where they belong, they go back home.
03:31At the heart of it all was the wider question of how heritage can foster greater mutual understanding.
03:38Uzbekistan has been very, very active for promoting, protecting its cultural legacies,
03:43and we do hope that they continue to do this and it can inspire other countries as well.
03:48Enfin, la culture est mise en avant. On peut les voir, on peut les toucher, on peut les étudier.
03:56Et ça, pour nous, c'est une très très grande chance,
03:58c'est une bonne opportunité justement d'avancer dans nos recherches plus avant.
04:02We live in a time where hate speech spreads very fast.
04:06So this opportunity is to sit, speak, exchange ideas and dialogue,
04:13help people understand each other and prepare for a culture of peace.
04:18I think there is much more need for attention, shedding light towards this part of the world,
04:24because it has a lot to offer in terms of the legacy, diversity, shared human heritage,
04:30dialogue and efforts towards the betterment of the society and the humankind.
04:37The Forum in Paris was part of a wider programme to showcase Uzbekistan's heritage,
04:43with presentations also taking place at the UN in New York and Geneva.
