Ashgabat has transferred the presidency of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea to Dushanbe
President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon has been elected the President of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) for three years. This decision was made at the second Consultative Meeting of the heads of Central Asia state in Tashkent.
- Thus, the presidency has been transferred from Turkmenistan to Tajikistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Central Asian Summit host, President of Uzbekistan said.
The International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea was created in accordance with the resolution taken by the heads of Central Asia state in Tashkent on January 4, 1993. Its goal is to improve the socio-economic and environmental situation in the Aral Sea basin. From 2017 to date, the presidency of the fund was performed by Turkmenistan.
According to experts, Ashgabat undertook the presidency of IFAS at a very difficult time for the organization. Summits of the heads of founding state had not been held for 9 years, and Bishkek suspended its participation in the fund’s work, believing that the interests of Kyrgyzstan are not fully taken into account.
Turkmenistan convinced Bishkek to resume its full-scale participation in the fund, which happened at the summit of the Presidents of the founding countries on the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea in August 2018. The summit was attended by President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov.
In addition, Ashgabat has brought the cooperation between the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea and the most authoritative international organization in the world (UN) to a new level. Turkmenistan has put forward an initiative to establish a UN Special Programme for the countries of the Aral Sea region.
At the 73rd UN General Assembly session, the Resolution was unanimously adopted Cooperation between the UN and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, initiated by Turkmenistan. This resolution expresses full support for outcomes of the Summit of the Heads of IFAS Founding State, held in the Avaza National Tourist Zone in August 2018.
According to experts, the document creates a legal framework for collaboration between the UN and IFAS in a systematic manner.
