Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted transboundary water management and the ecological state of the Aral and Caspian Seas during the International Forum on Peace and Trust in Ashgabat.
According to the press service of the Kazakhstan's President, Tokayev stressed that ensuring water security has become a strategic priority for Kazakhstan and the region.
He proposed improving the efficiency of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea and establishing an interstate program to prevent the degradation of the Caspian ecosystem.
The Kazakhstan's President also proposed creating an International Water Organization under the UN, capable of uniting existing mandates on water issues, noting that the initiative aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
A Regional Environmental Summit is scheduled in Astana in April next year, where Kazakhstan intends to begin international consultations on creating a global water organization.
Tokayev expressed confidence that the Ashgabat forum will strengthen partnerships among countries and give new momentum to international efforts to build a just world order based on trust.