Adiz Boboev, the governor of Samarkand region, held a meeting with Dr.

Zulkifli Hasan , the Minister of Religious Affairs of Malaysia. During the meeting, the parties discussed in detail the issues of bringing cooperation in the religious sphere to a new level. In particular, the governor of Samarkand region, Adiz Boboev, touched upon the fact that Samarkand, located at the crossroads of the Great Silk Road, is one of the spiritual centers not only of Uzbekistan, but also of the entire Islamic world, the “Tourism Gate of New Uzbekistan”, and noted that Samarkand is valuable for the residents of Malaysia and Indonesia as a place where the memorial complex of the great hadith scholar Imam Bukhari is located. It was noted that this memorial complex, which was renovated at the initiative of our President Shavkat Mirziyoev, was recently put into operation, the government of Uzbekistan announced the “Umra+” program, and that 2026 will be the “Year of Open Tourism” in Uzbekistan, and that it is ready to receive tourists from Malaysia and Indonesia. The meeting included proposals to organize the “Kuala Lumpur-Samarkand-Jeddah” air route under the “Umra+” program, provide pilgrims with up to 30% discounts on hotels, transportation, and meals during their stay in Samarkand, organize internships for employees of religious organizations and students of religious educational institutions in Malaysia at the Imam al-Bukhari Research Center and Complex in Samarkand, and hold the first half of the Imam al-Bukhari Hadith Khatman in Kuala Lumpur and the remaining half in Samarkand. The Malaysian side fully supported these proposals and expressed its readiness to actively implement them. At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed to consistently develop cooperation in these areas. This dialogue is significant in that it serves to strengthen ties in the religious and educational sphere.