Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attends the meeting of the Council of Heads of State – Founders of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attends the meeting of the Council of Heads of State – Founders of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea
The second day of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's working visit to Tajikistan began with his participation in the meeting of the Council of Heads of State – Founders of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS).
At the beginning of his speech, the Head of State expressed gratitude to the Tajik side and personally to President Emomali Rahmon for the warm reception and excellent organization of the event, and welcomed the participation of Kaha Imnadze, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, in the forum.
The Kazakh leader emphasized the symbolic significance of the milestone summit held in the year marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of IFAS.
The Head of State praised Tajikistan's chairmanship, during which efforts to enhance the organizational structure and legal framework of IFAS were actively underway.
The Kazakh President emphasized the need to create a mechanism for long-term and sustainable cooperation for the effective use of water and energy resources in Central Asia, taking into account the interests of all countries in the region. He suggested that the International Water and Energy Consortium could serve as such a mechanism.
To ensure transparency of water use in the region and strengthen the dialogue and friendship between Central Asian countries, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed to develop a Work Plan, which would introduce a unified automated system of accounting, monitoring, management and distribution of water resources in the Aral Sea basin.
In addition, President Tokayev highlighted the need to establish a Project Office of Central Asian countries focusing on climate issues, which would enable joint development of effective measures to adapt to climate change and mitigate its consequences.
Having positively assessed Bishkek's participation in the work of the working bodies, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called on the Kyrgyz Republic to resume its full participation in IFAS.
In his concluding remarks, the Head of State emphasized that only close cooperation, mutually beneficial partnership and respect for each other's interests can ensure stable development, security and economic self-sufficiency of the region.
The President proposed to hold the next summit within the framework of IFAS in Kazakhstan in 2026, combining it with the Regional Climate Summit initiated by Kazakhstan under the auspices of the UN.
President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov of Turkmenistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, and Adylbek Kassymaliyev, the First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic also addressed the meeting.
The summit concluded with the signing of several documents:
- The Dushanbe Statement of the Heads of States – Founders of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea;
- Decision of the Heads of States – Founders of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea: On the outcomes of the Republic of Tajikistan’s chairmanship of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea;
- Decision of the Heads of States – Founders of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea: On actions to improve organizational structure and legal framework of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea;
- Decision of the Heads of States – Founders of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea: On election of the President of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was elected head of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea for a period of three years.