The EU Delegation to Uzbekistan, in cooperation with the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan (MIFT), organized an official visit of representatives of several EU member states to the Aral Sea region, Karakalpakstan.

On the first day of the visit, the campaign of the EU Delegation to plant 27,000 trees on the dried bottom of the Aral Sea officially started. The ambassadors of the European Union planted the first batch of trees in the Muynak district and installed a commemorative plaque, thereby marking the contribution of the EU and member states to the green future of the region.

The EU is a close partner of Uzbekistan in supporting environmental and socially significant projects within the framework of the activities of the UN Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea Region, created on the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan.

Currently, the EU has provided financial assistance to the Fund for 5 million euros. Finland and Norway also contributed 1 million euros each. In addition, the European Investment Bank and the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW, Germany) provided financial resources for 125 million euros and 31.5 million euros, respectively, in the form of blended financing.

The delegation got acquainted with the implementation of projects to provide the local population with drinking water, and health services, as well as to support entrepreneurship, discussing the importance of further mobilizing investments in the region and prospects for further expansion of the Fund’s activities.

The Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade presented promising programs and projects aimed at comprehensive stimulation of the socio-economic development of the region, worth more than $210 million. The parties discussed the practical aspects of the implementation of these projects and outlined further steps to promote them.

Following the visit, agreements were reached on the further development of project cooperation, the purpose of which is to mitigate the consequences of the Aral Sea catastrophe.

UzA