(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 24. Mutually
beneficial cooperation will fortify the status of the Caspian Sea
as a sea of peace and new opportunities, President of Kazakhstan
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said, Trend reports.
Tokayev made the remark at the first summit of heads of state of
the UN Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) in
Baku.
Kazakhstan's president emphasized the need of launching
cooperation scientific, research, and practical work on
environmental and climate challenges, as well as transboundary
water resource management.
These difficulties touch all SCO countries, and success cannot
be accomplished individually, he said, citing the Aral Sea
disaster, the consequences of which are felt not just in the area
but far beyond its borders.
"Next year, Kazakhstan, as the chair of the International Fund
for Saving the Aral, will focus on intensifying efforts to prevent
the degradation of the environment of what was once one of the
world's largest closed water reservoirs," Tokayev also said. "The
complex ecological situation in the Caspian Sea, related to
shallowing, a sharp reduction in water flow, a decrease in biore
sources, and anthropogenic pollution, raises significant
concern."
"Saving the Caspian should be a top priority for long-term
international cooperation. I urge all interested parties to
collaborate on developing a common action plan to improve the
condition of this unique water body," he added.
Baku is hosting a summit dedicated to the 25th anniversary of
the UN Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia
(SPECA).
The UN SPECA program was established on March 26, 1998. At
present, the SPECA member states are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
SPECA provides a platform for sub-regional cooperation to realize
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that can best be achieved
through regional cooperation.
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