High-ranking delegations and experts from eight SCO member states, with the participation of representatives of the Organization's Secretariat, will discuss topical issues of further development of cooperation in the field of environmental protection, taking into account modern realities.

The event is held within the framework of Uzbekistan's chairmanship in the SCO.

Currently, global environmental problems, such as climate change, loss of flora and fauna, land degradation and depletion of water resources, pose serious challenges to many countries. These challenges are also inherent in the vast space of the SCO, which covers 60% of the territory of Eurasia with a population of more than 3.2 billion people.

In this regard, much attention is focused on the Tashkent meeting of the main ecologists of the SCO countries. It should become a logical continuation of the Organization's efforts to increase cooperation on joint counteraction to threats to environmental safety.

The SCO is consistently and purposefully moving towards the formation of a rich agenda in the field of environmental protection and the promotion of green development through strengthening cooperation in the field. The first document of the Organization in this direction was the approval of the Concept of Cooperation of the member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the Field of environmental Protection. In order to implement it, an Action Plan for the implementation of the Concept for the period 2022-2024 has been adopted and is being implemented, which was approved during a meeting of the Council of Heads of SCO Member States on September 17, 2020. in Dushanbe.

It is expected that at the Tashkent meeting, the parties will exchange views on ways to enhance cooperation in such topical areas as environmental monitoring, biodiversity, protection of natural territories, mitigation of climate change, scientific and technical cooperation, solid waste management and personnel capacity building.

Following the results of the ministerial meeting, it is expected to approve the Program for the joint creation of a Single SCO platform for the exchange of environmental information, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan reports.