On 30 November -1 December 2016, the informal working meeting for coordination of cooperation with international partners in the framework of preparation of Turkmenistan Chairmanship in the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) was held in Ashgabat.
The event was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of Turkmenistan, in close collaboration with the GIZ «Transboundary Water Management in Central Asia".
The working meeting was attended by the representatives of national authorities and the following international organizations: UN Centre for Preventive Diplomacy, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the program GIZ «Transboundary Water Management in Central Asia", World Bank, European Union, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Regional environmental centre for Central Asia and others.
The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss and identify the areas of cooperation with international partners, in accordance with their experience and potential interest to provide support to the Executive Committee of IFAS.
During this meeting, representatives of international organizations, national and international experts discussed the main areas that will be implemented by IFAS with the support of international partners during the chairmanship of Turkmenistan over the next three years.
Representatives of international organizations confirmed their readiness to support further efforts to promote regional cooperation within the framework of the chairmanship of Turkmenistan in the IFAS, including realization of the existing projects of Aral Sea Basin Program and the new directions initiated by Turkmenistan in its Concept of the chairmanship in the IFAS.
During the discussions, the participants expressed confidence that Turkmenistan will become a platform in the implementation of the common efforts of Central Asian countries in the further development of regional water and environmental cooperation.
