The session was attended by former President of Montenegro Filip Vuyanovich, Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of Uzbekistan Aziz Abdukhakimov, Co-chairman of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center and former Vice President of the World Bank Ismail Serageldin, former SCO Secretary General and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan Rashid Alimov, Director of the Center for Progressive Reforms Mirshokhid Aslanov.
In his speech, Aziz Abdukhakimov noted that climate change has ceased to be a subject of scientific discussion and already directly affects the health, economy and social stability of countries. The Minister stressed that Central Asia is facing rising temperatures that are twice the global average, melting glaciers, land degradation and the ongoing effects of the drying up of the Aral Sea.
A. Abdukhakimov presented the main steps being taken in Uzbekistan at the initiative of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev: the transformation of the Ministry of Ecology and the creation of a National Climate Center, the opening of a Green University, the annual planting of 200 million trees as part of the nationwide Yashil Makon project, the modernization of the irrigation system and the introduction of water-saving technologies, as well as the development of "green" energy, the share of which should exceed 50 percent by 2030.
The Minister also suggested that the partners develop joint projects on waste recycling, glacier monitoring, water resources management and use the Green University in Tashkent as a platform for scientific exchange and research.
During the discussion, the participants agreed that climate challenges require collective responsibility and joint solutions. It was noted that the trans-regional partnership opens up new opportunities for technology exchange, innovation and strengthening sustainable development. It was noted that the climate future of Central Asia depends on the common involvement of all countries in the region and their partners in Europe.
Following the session, participants were invited to upcoming international events: the 20th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES COP20), which will be held in Samarkand in November-December 2025, the 8th Assembly of the Global Environment Facility and the Eco Expo Central Asia exhibition, which will be held in 2026.. These platforms will be an important continuation of the dialogue and will provide new opportunities for the development of trans-regional cooperation in the field of ecology and combating climate change.
