Kazakhstan mobilizes efforts to develop and implement water diplomacy

Almaty, November 6, 2021 – The First meeting of the Regional Coordination Committee within the framework of the USAID Regional Project on Water Resources and the Environment was held. The aim of the project is to strengthen cooperation between Central Asian countries in the field of water resources in order to increase stability, economic prosperity and healthy ecosystems.

The event was attended by delegations from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, as well as the leadership and regional staff of USAID. The Kazakh delegation was headed by Ambassador-at-large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alexey Volkov.

During his speech, Volkov drew specific attention of the delegations and representatives of USAID to the need to establish active cooperation in the region in the following areas:

- Implementation of the “Action Program for Assistance to the countries of the Aral Sea basin (ASBP-4)”, approved at the IFAS Board meeting on June 29, 2021;

-  establishment of a regional water and energy consortium;

- using the potential of the newly established national development assistance operator – KazAID agency in strengthening regional cooperation, including in the water and energy sector.

At the meeting of the Regional Coordination Committee, USAID representatives made a number of presentations aimed at implementing a Regional project on water resources, energy and environment.

Following the event, the committee members stressed the importance of this platform for strengthening regional cooperation and rapprochement of the positions of the Central Asian states, especially in the water and energy sector and environmental protection.

On the sidelines of the event, Alexey Volkov met with Deputy Director of the Executive Board of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan Marat Narbayev. The parties discussed issues related to the results of the Board's work for 2021, current activities and future plans of this structure.

Particular attention was paid to the analysis of the development of cooperation between the Board and the International donor community, and the need to intensify efforts in this direction. In addition, the readiness of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan to assist in establishing closer relations between the Board and foreign partners by promoting a number of relevant national projects for Kazakhstan was noted.