On July 31, an online meeting of the Working Group on Environmental Protection and Energy of the C5+1 format of Central Asian countries and the United States was held.

Representatives of the Ministries of Ecology, Energy and Geology of the Central Asian countries took part in the event chaired by Uzbekistan and the United States, Yangi Uzbekiston reports.

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central Asia B. Stimmler and Deputy Minister of Ecology of the Republic of Uzbekistan J. Kazbekov spoke at the opening of the event.

Stimmler noted the successes of the past year, informing the participants about the launch of the B5+1 format (Business5+1) in February 2023, which should facilitate cooperation on critical minerals. It was noted the importance of opening a regional market for renewable energy sources and reducing emissions by 84 million tons at the regional level.

During the meeting, mutual interest was noted in continuing cooperation within the framework of the taken initiatives in the field of desertification, biodiversity conservation, climate change and natural resource management.

The meeting participants reviewed the draft "Roadmap for the C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue for 2024-2025", which provides for cooperation in such areas as geological exploration, investment in the mining industry, etc.

The participants also discussed issues of regional water cooperation, desertification, adaptation to climate change, "green" energy and biodiversity conservation.

It was noted that the Central Asian states intend to intensify the development and implementation of projects within the framework of the Regional Environmental Program for Sustainable Development in Central Asia, strengthening environmental cooperation and creating favorable conditions for achieving environmentally oriented SDGs in the region.

It was noted the importance of developing and implementing joint projects and programs in the environmental sphere in the C5+1 format, as well as organizing seminars and trainings with the participation of experts from Central Asian countries and the United States. The C5+1 interaction format (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the United States) was established in 2015 to discuss regional issues in the areas of economics, ecology and security.

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