The Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies (KazISS) under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under (ISRS) under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan have created a new dialogue platform. This platform which parties intend to make regular and systematic, aims to strengthen expert support for the development of bilateral cooperation and intraregional interaction.
The first meeting of the Council took place on 2 August in Astana, Kazakhstan, ahead to the visit of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Kazakhstan and the 6th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia.
The event was attended by the senior officials and representatives of ministries and agencies, as well as experts and analysts from both countries. Experts from both countries discussed current issues of bilateral cooperation and regional integration.
During the meeting, Director of SIC ICWC Dinara Ziganshina highlighted the issues in the field of water and climate based on bilateral cooperation including multilateral platforms where both countries interact. A number of proposals were put forward to strengthen cooperation in partnership, science, technology and finance through the establishment / maintenance of:
- joint initiatives in regional and multilateral platforms on water and climate
- joint research on climatic, ecological and hydrological processes and their impacts
- cooperation on water and climate education
- joint programs to improve water use efficiency and conservation, introduction of innovations and technologies
- alliance to attract finance: blue, green, climate funds, public-private partnership mechanisms.
The representatives of KazISS and SIC ICWC Central Asia met with representatives of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan under bilateral consultations.
The Parties noted the fruitful bilateral cooperation between the environmental agencies of the two countries. They discussed interaction within the Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan joint working group (Commission) on environmental protection and water quality in the Syr Darya River Basin. They also noted cooperation in the field of silvicultural reclamation on the dried bed of the Aral Sea and climate change.
Following the meeting, the parties agreed to continue working productively in all the above-mentioned areas.
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