Serdar Berdimuhamedov: Caspian Environmental Initiative – Important Step in Sea Protection
President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov addressed the participants of the scientific and practical conference "Protection of the Caspian Sea Ecosystem: Regional Cooperation and Sustainable Development," timed to Caspian Sea Day. The head of state summarized the key stages of the regional partnership, beginning with the First Caspian Summit in Ashgabat in 2002, and outlined strategic objectives for preserving this unique body of water.
Turkmenistan is systematically building a Caspian Environmental Initiative aimed at uniting the efforts of countries in the region and relevant international institutions. According to the head of state, climate change, water resource protection, and the preservation of unique biodiversity require coordinated action by the entire international community. The adoption of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea and the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment laid a solid foundation for environmental diplomacy.
Along with environmental issues, the address emphasized the region's key role in the global transportation system. The infrastructure of the Turkmenbashi International Seaport makes the country a vital transport and logistics hub at the crossroads of routes between Europe and Asia. Building on the legacy of the 2012 Avaza Environmental Forum, the First Economic Forum of 2019, and the Sixth Caspian Summit of 2022, Turkmenistan continues to advance important initiatives to align economic, transit, and environmental concerns.
