Dialogue on strengthening cooperation

A panel session “Dialogue on the Tehran Convention – Strengthening Cooperation in the Interests of the Caspian Sea” took place within the framework of the Regional Ecological Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, with the participation of high-ranking officials from different countries, experts, and representatives of international organizations who discussed environmental challenges threatening the region.

The catastrophic decline in the level of the Caspian Sea, which has been about 2 meters since the 1990s, became the main topic of the discussion. The participants stressed that the Tehran Convention remains the foundation for developing joint solutions, including the ambitious Caspian Sea-Level Fluctuation Action Plan for 2026-2036.

In his speech, Vice-Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Zhomart Aliyev, emphasized that preserving a unique ecosystem is a shared priority of the five countries. He noted the significance of the initiative of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to develop a comprehensive interstate program.

The participants supported the need to create unified predictive models and strengthen data exchange. To mobilize funds from international financial institutions for the implementation of environmental projects also became a goal of the Dialogue. The possibility of developing the current Action Plan into a larger long-term interstate program was discussed.

The implementation of the planned strategies is designed not only to stabilize the environmental situation, but also to strengthen trust between the countries of the region, ensuring the sustainable development of the Caspian basin for decades to come.

Roman Bondarchuk, UzA

Astana Kazakhstan