MGIMO Global Alumni Forum Opens in Tashkent!

19 May 2019

On May 19th, the 5th annual MGIMO World Alumni Forum was inaugurated at the Palace of Symposiums of the Alisher Navoi National Library of Uzbekistan.

Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov greeted guests on behalf of the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

MGIMO Rector Anatoly Torkunov read a welcome message from the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to the participants of the Forum.

During the opening ceremony, the audience was also addressed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Abdulaziz Kamilov; the Deputy Speaker of the Russian Federation Council, Iliyas Umakhanov; the Russian Minister of Culture, Vladimir Medinsky; and co-owner of the Eurasian Resources Group and International Mineral Resources, as well as a member of MGIMO’s Board of Trustees, Patokh Chodiev. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Alexander Pankin, read out greetings from the Minister Sergey Lavrov. The opening ceremony was moderated by the Deputy Director General of TASS, the information partner of the Forum, and member of MGIMO’s Supervisory Board, Mikhail Gusman.

Over 400 graduates from 32 countries gathered at the Alumni Forum, which was organized thanks to the generous support of the founder of USM Holdings, Deputy Chairman of MGIMO’s Board of Trustees, Alisher Usmanov, and by Patokh Chodiev.

The forum was divided into three sessions during which were discussed political, security, economic, and cultural topics. A large number of high-level speakers participated in the sessions, including the first Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Ilhom Nematov; the Senior Partner and Managing Director of BCG, and Chairman of BCG Russia, Vladislav Boutenko; the Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia, Azer Talibov; the former Chairman of the Kazakh National Bank, Grigory Marchenko; the First Vice-President of Gazprombank, Denis Shulakov; the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Miroslav Jenca; the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Dilshod Akhatov; the State Secretary of the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry of Slovakia, Lukas Parizek; and the Rector of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy of Uzbekistan, Abdubajar Abduvakhitov.

At the evening reception, on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, guests were joined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia, Miroslav Lajcak.