Germany backs Turkmenistan's initiative to establish climate change center
By Aynur Karimova
Germany supports Turkmenistan's initiative to establish a specialized structure under the auspices of the UN - a Regional Centre on Climate Change in Central Asia - in Ashgabat.
This support was announced at a meeting held between Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and German Ambassador to Turkmenistan Ralf Andreas Brett on March 9.
The German diplomat also stressed the importance of Ashgabat's international initiatives on ecological issues.
The Turkmen president said that implementation of joint projects and environmental programs are among the promising areas of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
In today's world the environmental issues, including those related to water management, have become more important as further development of human society is impossible without resolving them.
Taking the importance of ecological issues for the whole Central Asian region, in September 2015, Turkmenistan proposed the establishment of the Regional Centre on Climate Change in Ashgabat under the UN auspices.
"Remaining committed to this idea, our country is ready to take steps to establish such a center in Ashgabat in 2016 in collaboration with the UN Development Program," said President Berdymukhamedov, who addressed the 70th session of the UN General Assembly.
In his speech, the Turkmen president noted that resolution of environmental problems cannot be achieved without economic and social development.
"Turkmenistan supports the signing of international agreements on climate issues and will take an active part in promotion of this idea," he added urging the world countries to strengthen international ecological cooperation, to continue fighting against hunger and poverty in the world, and to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Ashgabat has also proposed to create the UN Aral Sea Program.
Turkmenistan is currently chairing the Intergovernmental Commission on Sustainable Development of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea in 2015-2016.
The country not only supports international initiatives on protecting and strengthening world peace and security, cooperation in the ecology and environmental protection, but also takes decisive steps towards resolving ecological problems at the governmental level.
The Central Asian nation is currently working on a large-scale project to preserve Altyn Asyr Lake in the middle of the Karakum desert. The project is designed to take drainage water from irrigated lands of all provinces and collect it in the country's huge natural basin Karashor.
Turkmenistan is also carrying out research on the impact of the Turkmen lake and its collector network on improving biodiversity and ecological conditions. One of the most important tasks is to prevent the contamination of Amu Darya. One way to do so is the creation of Turkmen Lake.
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Aynur Karimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova
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