Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the National Records and Archives Authority (NRAA), engaged in discussions aimed at fostering documentary and scientific collaboration with Uzbekistan. The discussions focused on potential joint studies and research pertaining to historical connections with Central Asian regions, leveraging documents, manuscripts, and historical sources to document these ties through various ages.
According to Oman News Agency, this initiative was part of a visit by a delegation led by Dr. Hamad Mohammed Al Dhoyani, Chairman of the NRAA, accompanied by Wafa Jabr Al Busaidi, Ambassador of Oman to Uzbekistan. The delegation visited several key archival, scientific, intellectual, and cultural institutions across Samarkand, Bukhara, and Tashkent.
Key institutions visited included the Imam Al Bukhari Center, the Document Archive Branch in Samarkand, Bukhara State University, the Abu Rayhan Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies, the Islamic Civilization Center, and the National Archives of Uzbekistan. Discussions with these institutions covered potential cooperation in document and manuscript preservation, maintenance, restoration, digitization, microfilming, scientific research, publishing, and capacity building. There was also a focus on exchanging resources of mutual interest and enhancing scientific cooperation between Oman and Uzbekistan.
The delegation had the opportunity to learn from Uzbek practices in document and archive management, preservation mechanisms, and access provision to archival collections and manuscripts, alongside the technologies employed in digitization and electronic archiving. The discussions also covered various scientific and research initiatives aimed at preserving historical and cultural heritage.
A significant outcome of the visit was the agreement between the NRAA and the Abu Rayhan Biruni Institute of Oriental Studies to activate a signed memorandum of cooperation. The agreement includes collaborative efforts in microfilming, manuscript restoration and maintenance, catalog studies, and sharing copies of mutually interesting manuscripts, alongside scientific research and publishing efforts.
Dr. Hamad Mohammed Al Dhoyani highlighted the importance of expanding documentary and scientific cooperation between the two nations, emphasizing the value of their shared historical and cultural ties. He stressed the necessity of activating existing cooperation through structured work programs to facilitate knowledge and expertise exchange, support scientific research, and preserve documentary and manuscript heritage.
Ambassador Wafa Jabr Al Busaidi underscored the significance of the strong relations between Oman and Uzbekistan, noting that the NRAA delegation's visit underscores a mutual interest in bolstering cooperation in scientific, cultural, and historical domains. She also highlighted the provision of manuscript copies to the Authority to aid scientific research and publishing.
This visit aligns with the NRAA's commitment to enhancing collaboration with similar institutions and exchanging expertise and knowledge in documentary, archival, and scientific fields. These efforts aim to preserve and grant access to documentary and manuscript heritage, while reinforcing cultural and historical ties between Oman and Uzbekistan.
