On April 22, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the opening ceremony of the Regional Ecological Summit in Astana.

​Your Excellency Kassym-Jomart Tokayev!

Esteemed heads of delegations!

Ladies and gentlemen!

At the outset, I would like to express my special gratitude to His Excellency Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, for his initiative to host the Regional Ecological Summit, the high level of its organization, and the traditionally warm hospitality.

On April 22, as part of his working visit to Kazakhstan, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, together with the heads of delegations from Central Asian countries, as well as Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia, visited national pavilions at the Regional Ecological Summit exhibition held at the EXPO International Exhibition Center in Astana.

During the meeting, the parties thoroughly discussed the prospects and priority areas for further development of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

In recent years, the Republic of Uzbekistan has embarked on a structured and institutionally grounded transition toward a green economy, positioning sustainability as a core driver of long-term economic resilience, competitiveness, and global integration.

During the meeting, the parties thoroughly discussed the prospects for exporting fruit and vegetable products from Uzbekistan to the Omani market, as well as issues related to establishing mutual cooperation.

On April 20, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov, who is heading the Russian delegation at the INNOPROM. Central Asia International Industrial Exhibition, currently underway in Tashkent.

Today, global demand for water resources is steadily increasing. In this context, the rational use of shared water resources in Central Asia is one of the key factors in ensuring regional security, stability, and sustainable development.

Today, a new and ambitious strategic direction is emerging on the global energy map. The strategic partnership established between Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan is a historic step that serves not only to strengthen regional energy security but also to elevate the global "green" transformation to a new level. At the heart of this ambitious initiative lies, first and foremost, the mutual trust, strong friendship, and high responsibility of the leaders of the three brotherly states toward future generations.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Aral Sea was the largest lake in Central Asia (Fig. 1). Starting from the second half of this century, as a result of the drying up of the sea, a new desert ecosystem—the Aralkum Desert—was formed at its bottom (Fig. 2). This area is currently considered one of the largest anthropogenic desert ecosystems in Central Asia. As a result of the decrease in sea level, more than 60,000 km2 of wetlands have turned into land.