MEETING BETWEEN REPRESENTATIVES OF WATER MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS OF TURKMENISTAN AND UZBEKISTAN

On October 30, 2020, a videoconference meeting was held at the State Committee for Water Management of Turkmenistan between representatives of water management institutions of Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The conference was attended by representatives of the State Committee for Water Management of Turkmenistan, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Water Resources of Uzbekistan, headed by Minister Shavkat Khamraev.

During the meeting, the parties discussed important issues of cooperation in the field of bilateral water management, and also stressed the need to work on the implementation of important joint projects with the active participation of the water management complexes of the two countries.

As is known, in the Joint Statement of the Heads of the Founding States of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, adopted in the city of Turkmenbashi on August 24, 2018, the initiatives were adopted to create conditions for the effective use of water diplomacy. During the bilateral talks, the Turkmen side confirmed its approaches to solving problems of the Aral Sea and water and energy issues in Central Asia. The main emphasis was placed on the need for countries to show mutual respect for each other's positions and take into account their legitimate interests.

During the meeting, the parties stressed the need to further expand cooperation on all water issues of mutual interest, in particular the water situation in the Amu Darya region, irrigation of crops in 2021, and the use of water in the middle and lower reaches of the Amu Darya. In addition, the parties discussed future coordination work on the collection and implementation of modern digital technologies in the economical use of water resources in the Central Asian region.