ASHGABAT (TCA) — On June 19, Turkmenistan’s capital Ashgabat hosted the International conference, “Role of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea in Developing Cooperation in the Central Asian Region”, Turkmenistan’s state Newspaper Golden Age reported.
“Turkmenistan pursues the balanced domestic and foreign policy whose objectives include environment protection; ensuring environmental well-being and rational use of water resources,” Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov said in his welcoming address sent to the participants of the forum, organized as part of Turkmenistan’s chairmanship in IFAS.
In this context Turkmenistan continues fruitful cooperation with international organizations – the UN Development Programme, the Environment Programme, the Economic Commission for Europe, the Global Environment Fund, the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia, and the German Society for International Cooperation.
By the decision of the heads of state of the Central Asian countries of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, in 1993, due to the urgent need to improve the environmental situation caused by the shrinking of the Aral Sea, the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea was created. According to the IFAS Regulations, Turkmenistan will be chairing the Fund in 2017-2019.
The Turkmen president said that the main objectives of Turkmenistan’s chairmanship in the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea are the improvement of the socio-economic and environmental situation in the countries of the Aral area; ensuring the rational use of water resources and the high level of environmental protection in the region.
“As the country chairing the IFAS, Turkmenistan will make maximum effort for the comprehensive and sustainable raise of the Fund’s international profile, and will take all necessary measures to strengthen its significance in fighting global natural disasters. Our independent state, together with the countries of Central Asia, plans to develop a new assistance program for the countries of the Aral area, placing a special emphasis on the political, organizational and legal aspects of the document. In turn, at the first stage this will facilitate the work on development of water diplomacy. Also, in connection with implementation of the set objectives, multidimensional conferences and training workshops are scheduled to be held in the Central Asian countries,” the Turkmen president said.
