At a meeting of the Council of the Heads of the Founding States of the International Fund for the Aral Sea in Dushanbe on 15 September, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov pledged Turkmenistan’s continued support for implementing specific initiatives of the IFAS founding countries to enhance regional cooperation and develop systemic mechanisms for cooperation in environmental protection and sustainable development in Central Asia.
“In this regard, we propose to intensify work on improving the legal framework of the Fund and define the goals and objectives of further work. We consider it necessary to conduct this process taking into account the interests of all IFAS founding states and on the basis of the fundamental principles and norms of international law,” the President of Turkmenistan said.
The Head of State believes that resolving the complex of issues directly related to the Aral problem, as part of the regional environmental agenda, requires deepening international partnerships, further promoting constructive initiatives, and actively involving specialized UN structures.
“At the same time, we need to create opportunities for more dynamic interaction of the Fund with international financial institutions and donors to implement projects and programs related to solving a wide range of issues currently existing in the Aral Sea basin,” the head of Turkmenistan said.
“I am convinced that the problem of the Aral Sea, like the entire ecology of Central Asia, should take its proper place in the international ranking of environmental priorities. Our efforts here should be focused on ensuring the rights and legitimate interests of millions of our citizens, addressing economic and social problems for decades to come,” President Serdar Berdimuhamedov stressed.
He also proposed to establish a Regional Center for Technologies related to Climate Change in Central Asia.
“As a key step towards developing a strategic approach to environmental issues in the region, Turkmenistan proposes to establish a specialized Regional Center for Climate Change Technologies in Central Asia, which would work substantively and systematically in cooperation with the UN to address the full spectrum of the region’s environmental agenda,” said the President of Turkmenistan.
According to the Head of Turkmenistan, in addition, accelerating the process of development and adoption by the countries of the region of international instruments aimed at the conservation and rational use of water resources in Central Asia is urgent.
In this context, the President of Turkmenistan voiced an initiative to modernize the Central Asian Water Strategy.
“Turkmenistan, together with all Central Asian countries, pays great attention to the promotion of “water diplomacy” in the region, and during its chairmanship in IFAS, Ashgabat initiated the development of a Central Asian Water Strategy,” the President stressed.
“At the same time, we consider it expedient to consolidate in this document the basic principles and rules of political and diplomatic cooperation between our states on water issues based on mutual respect, equal partnership and consideration of the interests of all countries in the region,” he said.
According to the Head of Turkmenistan, the Central Asian Water Strategy in the future could become the basis for the development of the UN Global Water Strategy.
“We also propose to modernize the Regional Action Plan for Environmental Protection of Central Asia, adopted within the framework of the Interstate Commission for Sustainable Development of IFAS, and include its main provisions as an environmental component in the new Action Program to assist the countries of the Aral Sea basin,” the President of Turkmenistan stressed.///nCa, 15 September 2023
Speech by President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov at a meeting of the Council of the Heads of the Founding States of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea
Dear Heads of State! Dear members of the delegations!
First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon for the invitation to visit Dushanbe to participate in the meeting of the Council of the Heads of the Founding States of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea.
The current meeting in the hospitable land of Tajikistan is evidence of the high level of our relations and mutual desire to jointly address the problems of the region.
Today’s event is especially symbolic for our countries as IFAS founders, since this year we mark the 30th anniversary of the Foundation’s creation.
Let me congratulate everyone on this significant date and note that over the past years, the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea has become an important regional platform for dialogue and cooperation in order to solve environmental and socio-economic problems caused by the drying up of the Aral Sea.
Today, it is necessary to emphasize the effective chairmanship of the Fund of the Republic of Tajikistan. Our Tajik colleagues have done a lot of work to support the activities of IFAS and increase the international prestige of the Fund.
I wish success to the next chair of the Republic of Kazakhstan. I am sure that in the coming period, our Kazakhstani colleagues will make every effort to solve the tasks set, coordinate our steps, support and promote constructive initiatives.
Dear participants!
As known, Turkmenistan always emphasizes at international forums that the Aral problem has gone far beyond our region and has become a truly global problem that requires the same global response.
Our country supports its initiatives with concrete actions both at the national level and on the world stage.
Back in 2012, Turkmenistan approved a National Climate Change Strategy, which also reflected the issues of the Aral Sea, in particular, reducing the negative impact of the drying of the Aral Sea on the environment, curbing desertification and land degradation, improving the sanitary and epidemiological situation in the Aral Sea, as well as addressing a number of social and humanitarian issues.
In 2019, we updated this strategy taking into account the realities of today, and after that we adopted the National Program for the Aral Sea for the period 2021-2025, which provides for the implementation of 86 projects in the economic, social, environmental, and water spheres.
At the same time, on the international arena, at the initiative of Turkmenistan, Resolutions of the UN General Assembly “Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea” were adopted in 2018 and 2019. In particular, they underscore the importance of multilateral efforts aimed at minimizing and eliminating the consequences of the Aral ecological crisis, and emphasize the importance of strengthening dialogue, cooperation and coordination between the UN system and the Fund.
As a follow-up to the above-mentioned practical actions, on 19 May 2023, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) adopted a resolution initiated by Turkmenistan, “Consideration of the modalities for the establishment of the United Nations special programme for the Aral Sea basin”.
Turkmenistan will continue to advocate for the implementation of specific initiatives of the IFAS founding countries aimed at enhancing regional cooperation and the formation of systemic mechanisms of cooperation in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development in the Central Asian region.
In this regard, we propose to intensify work on improving the legal framework of the Fund and define the goals and objectives of further work.
We consider it necessary to conduct this process taking into account the interests of all IFAS founding States and on the basis of the fundamental principles and norms of international law.
We are convinced that the solution of a complex of issues directly related to the Aral problem, as part of the region-wide environmental agenda, requires deepening international partnership, further promotion of constructive initiatives, and active involvement of specialized UN structures. At the same time, we need to create opportunities for more dynamic interaction of the Fund with international financial institutions and donors to implement projects and programs related to solving a wide range of issues currently existing in the Aral Sea basin.
I believe that the problem of the Aral Sea, like the entire ecology of Central Asia, should take its proper place in the international ranking of environmental priorities. Our efforts here should be focused on ensuring the rights and legitimate interests of millions of our citizens, solving economic and social problems for decades to come.
As an important step towards the formation of a strategic approach to environmental issues in the region, Turkmenistan proposes to establish a specialized structure – a Regional Center for Technologies Related to Climate Change in Central Asia, which would work in a substantive and systematic manner in cooperation with the UN on the entire spectrum of the environmental agenda in the region.
In addition, the issue of accelerating the process of development and adoption by our countries of international documents aimed at the conservation and rational use of water resources in Central Asia is urgent. We propose to intensify our diplomatic efforts in this direction together.
Dear Heads of State!
Turkmenistan, together with the Central Asian countries, pays great attention to the promotion of “water diplomacy” in the region. To this end, our country initiated the development of the Central Asian Water Strategy during its IFAS chairmanship. At the same time, we consider it expedient to consolidate in this document the basic principles and rules of political and diplomatic cooperation between our states on water issues based on mutual respect, equal partnership and consideration of the interests of all countries in the region.
In the future, the Central Asian Water Strategy could become the basis for the development of the UN Global Water Strategy.
We also propose to consider the modernization of the Regional Action Plan for Environmental Protection of Central Asia, adopted within the framework of the Interstate Commission for Sustainable Development of IFAS, in order to include the main provisions of this Plan as an environmental component in the new Action Program to Assist the countries of the Aral Sea basin.
These proposals are united by one goal – to create a harmonious, sustainable and long-term system of cooperation based on ensuring the interests of the countries of our region, the well-being of the peoples living here, their health, development and progress. We hope that the proposals made by Turkmenistan will find understanding and support.
In conclusion, I would like to thank once again dear Emomali Sharifovich for his great personal contribution to the organization and successful holding of the meeting of the Council of the Heads of the Founding States of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea and wish everyone success in their work.
I am sure that today’s meeting will give positive impulses to the promotion of our common interests. Turkmenistan is ready to do everything necessary for this.///TDH, 15 Sep 2023
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