On 27 November 2024, an official ceremony marked the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between the Scientific Research Institute of Agricultural Mechanization (SRIAM) of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Nanjing Institute of  Agricultural Mechanization (NIAM) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) was signed in Tashkent. The ceremony was held alongside the Asia-Uzbekistan Dialogue on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization, which was also the first collaborative activity under the Memorandum.
 
ESCAP, through CSAM, and the other signatories will leverage their respective expertise, resources, and networks to promote sustainable agricultural mechanization in the Asia-Pacific region and explore opportunities for joint initiatives such as capacity development activities, research collaboration, knowledge sharing and information exchanges, and mutual support for innovation and development.

CSAM and NIAM have a long-standing partnership for the promotion of sustainable agricultural mechanization in the region, having collaborated to organize several regional events and activities in China, while SRIAM experts have in recent years joined CSAM activities related to Central Asia, in particular regarding mechanization solutions for agriculture in arid and semi-arid areas, and climate-smart mechanization in the region.