During a working visit to Kazakhstan on 22 April, the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, took part in the Regional Ecological Summit and a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Founding Members of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) in Astana. This was reported by TDH.

The summit took place at the EXPO International Exhibition Centre. The theme of the forum was ‘Shared vision for resilient future’. It was attended by Heads of State, leaders and representatives of international organisations. Before the meeting, the delegations visited the ‘RES 2026 EXPO’ exhibition, which showcased developments in the fields of energy transition and environmental protection. Turkmenistan presented its own pavilion with an exhibition on the country’s environmental initiatives.

At the plenary session, the President of Turkmenistan put forward a number of initiatives. Turkmenistan proposed the establishment of a UN Regional Centre for Climate Technologies and a Regional Centre for Combating Desertification for the countries of Central Asia. Regarding transboundary water resources, Ashgabat advocates the creation of a Regional Council on Water Use under the auspices of the UN. The President also announced a high-level meeting on the ecology of the Caspian Sea in early October.

Following the summit, the Declaration of the Heads of State of Central Asia, ‘Environmental Solidarity in Central Asia’, was adopted.

In the afternoon, a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the IFAS founding members took place at the Akorda Palace. The President of Turkmenistan called for strengthening the coordinating role of the Fund and modernising its legal framework. Turkmenistan proposed jointly drafting a new UN General Assembly resolution on cooperation between the IFAS and the UN.

Following the meeting, a number of documents were signed, including the Astana Statement of the Heads of State of the IFAS Founding Member States. The chairmanship of the Fund passed to Uzbekistan. A decision was also taken to declare 26 March as International Day of the Aral Sea, the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya.

Following the conclusion of the visit’s programme, the Head of State flew to Ashgabat. The visit reaffirmed Turkmenistan’s commitment to active participation in the regional ecological agenda and the country’s readiness to promote specific initiatives at the international level.