As part of his visit to Uzbekistan, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) Zurab Pololikashvili visited the Central Asian University of Environmental and Climate Change Studies (Green University), operating under the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

During the visit, he became familiar with the activities of the first educational institution in Central Asia specializing in environmental issues.

Zurab Pololikashvili highly praised the establishment of Green University, emphasizing the importance of such educational initiatives for promoting sustainable development and environmental protection.

“We were pleasantly surprised and delighted to visit this completely new and creative university, which will support ecology, environmental specialists, and sustainable development. This is an important and innovative direction in the education system”, he emphasized. “I would like to congratulate the Minister and thank the President of Uzbekistan for the initiative to make sustainable development and sustainable tourism priorities of state policy. This demonstrates that Uzbekistan holds a leading position not only in the region but also globally”.

As part of the visit, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between UN Tourism and Green University. The document provides for the development of cooperation in sustainable tourism, ecology, and education.

The parties agreed to train qualified specialists, exchange experiences, implement joint educational and outreach programs, and promote tourism as a means of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The memorandum also envisages regular interaction between the organizations, coordination of joint projects, organization of training events, and support for scientific research.

Aziza Alimova, UzA