At a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on 18 July, Rashid Meredov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan and Foreign Affairs Minister, presented proposals to the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, on strengthening Turkmenistan’s role in advancing the climate agenda in Central Asia. This was reported by the state news agency TDH.

The Head of State approved the initiatives and instructed that work begin on their implementation. One of the key projects will be the establishment of the Ashgabat Climate Dialogue — a permanent international platform for discussing climate change issues.

Plans also include the establishment of an Inter-ministerial Commission to liaise with foreign partners and international organisations, the development of work plans for the Regional Centre for Climate Technologies in Central Asia and the Regional Centre for Combating Desertification in coordination with the UN, as well as the promotion of Turkmenistan’s environmental initiatives at international forums.

Particular attention is paid to securing funding from international institutions, including the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environment Facility, the Adaptation Fund, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.