The ‘Awaza’ National Tourist Zone hosted a scientific and practical conference entitled ‘Preserving the Ecosystem of the Caspian Sea: Regional Cooperation and Sustainable Development’, held to mark Caspian Sea Day. The event was attended by Pyotr Shchukin, Minister-Counsellor at the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Turkmenistan, according to the news agency ‘Turkmenistan: Golden age’.

In his speech, the Russian diplomat emphasised the need to pool the scientific and technical capabilities of the five Caspian states. He called for more active use of the five-party working groups and regional bodies, including the Caspian Sea Hydrometeorological Committee, to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Pyotr Shchukin also highlighted the significance of the in-depth thematic environmental summit initiated by the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov. According to him, the decisions of the upcoming Caspian Environmental Summit, to be held in ‘Awaza’ in October, could give further impetus to joint efforts.

“Active joint efforts by the ‘five’ and close cooperation between our experts, including within the framework of the relevant five-party groups, are essential,” the diplomat stated.

The representative of the Russian diplomatic mission emphasised that Russia advocates preserving the Caspian region as an area of peace, stability and good-neighbourliness, and is ready to support constructive initiatives by the Caspian states.