HIT President Prof. Eduard Yakubov, head of the Israeli delegation, said in the festive opening ceremony:
"As a son of both Uzbekistan and Israel, I strive to build bridges between the two countries."

Prof. Yakubov, who studied in Tashkent, stated that one of the primary goals of the conference is to create and encourage academic and research collaborations between Israel and Uzbekistan.

Pinchas (Pini) Cohen, Chairman of HIT’s Board of Trustees, in his remarks at the opening ceremony, called for the State of Israel to take an active part in helping the Uzbek people advance capabilities in the field of medicine. He referred to the role played by Uzbekistan as a safe refuge for Jews during World War II. "We must repay you for your good deeds towards the Jewish people during these terrible times, and the first area in which we'll do this is in medicine.” In addition, he also noted the enormous business and investment potential that exists between both countries.

Israel's Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Zahavit Ben Hillel, stated that Israel and Uzbekistan are celebrating 30 years of diplomatic relations. "There is no appropriate way to mark this festive event, other than to continue to strengthen the ties between the countries by collaborating together. This conference is another step in the development of relations between Israel and Uzbekistan. Academic, research and business ties strengthen countries," added Ben Hillel. She went on to state that in her experience, the best way to bring people and countries together is by making connections at all levels, not only between governments and diplomats but between People".

Ms. Feruza Makhmudova, Uzbekistan's Ambassador to Israel, also greeted the conference guests.

Professor Shavkat Ayupov, Director of the Institute of Mathematics in Tashkent, who received an award for his scientific achievements during the opening ceremony, pointed out that the close ties forged by Prof. Eduard Yakubov with Uzbekistan, contributed significantly to the ongoing cooperation between HIT and other institutions in the Republic.

The conference, which started today, September 5th, will end on September 9th and will be hosted at select universities in the cities of Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand. The participants will meet in different sessions during which they will discuss diverse aspects of international academic collaborations, five-year academic programs as well as discussions focusing on society, technology, tourism, engineering, mathematics and medicine.