Today, the "Arçabil" hotel in the capital hosted the regional conference of Central Asia countries on issues of water management, timed to Earth Day within the framework of implementation of the project of Regional Water and Vulnerable Environment Activity (WAVE).

Representatives of the water management sector, a number of ministries and departments of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan as well as international and research organisations took part in the event.

Its agenda included analysis of current reforms in the field of water management in Central Asian countries and the strategy of development of water management sector and experience of realisation of regional projects of United States Agency for International Development (USAID), German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in water management with an emphasis on rational use of water and application of technologies in the given field.

It is remarkable that today being designated as a priority area of the foreign policy of many states, including that of Turkmenistan and considered as a political-diplomatic form of multilateral interaction, the water diplomacy opens possibilities for the regular dialogue on the issues connected with formation and restoration of sources of water resources and their reasonable and rational use.

In the given context, one should note a positive experience of cooperation in the sphere of water management of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The state visit of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to the Republic of Uzbekistan on July 14-15, 2022 in which the agreement between the governments of two countries on management, protection and rational use of water resources of the Amu Darya River was signed, can serve a good example for it. 

It was underlined at the conference that an important tool of realisation of international plans in the sphere of water management for Central Asia is the Resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations on «Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea» developed by Turkmenistan and adopted with co-authorship of 19 countries.

Speaking at large forums, including at sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization, Summits of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, heads of Caspian states and CIS, Turkmenistan put forward a number of the topical initiatives aimed at joining international efforts in achievement of  sustainable development goals, adopted by United Nations member countries.

In its proposals, our fatherland makes an emphasis that use of trans-boundary water resources in Central Asia should be carried out on the basis of conventional norms of international law, mutual respect and taking into account interests of all states of the region.

It was pointed out that water resources play a key role for sustainable development of Central Asia, and trans-boundary cooperation in water management is the major component of achievement of SDGs, maintenance of peace, stability and prosperity in the region. In the given context, general readiness to attach priority significance to water issues in national and regional strategies and to strengthen multilateral cooperation in this area was expressed.

In the second half of the day, the 3rd regional meeting on robust decision support process for the Amyderya River Basin in a hybrid format, participants of which discussed results and possibilities of application of joint approach, took place.

On the margins of the event, the 6th meeting of the Regional co-ordinating committee will be held.