On September 15, 2023, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President of Turkmenistan, visited the Republic of Tajikistan to join the Summit of the Heads of State of the founding members of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS). This summit, which was held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of IFAS, was attended by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, and First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyz Republic Adylbek Kasymaliev as an observer.
At the summit, President Berdimuhamedov expressed his gratitude to President Rahmon for hosting the meeting, which demonstrated the strong relationship and commitment of the countries to solve the issues of the region. He also congratulated everyone on the 30th anniversary of IFAS, noting that the Fund has become an important platform to address environmental and socio-economic problems caused by the drying up of the Aral Sea.
President Berdimuhamedov highlighted that Turkmenistan has been advocating for a global response to the Aral Sea problem, which has become a global issue. The country has been actively engaging in initiatives and projects at the national and international level. He also proposed to intensify work to improve the legal framework of the Fund and determine the goals and objectives of further work, taking into account the interests of all the founding states.
The President also suggested to set up a Regional Center for Technologies Related to Climate Change in Central Asia, in cooperation with the UN, to address the environmental agenda in the region. He also emphasized the importance of accelerating the process of developing and adopting international documents related to water resources in Central Asia.
At the end of his speech, President Berdimuhamedov expressed his confidence that the meeting will bring positive results and Turkmenistan is ready to do whatever is necessary. The Summit participants discussed the results of the joint work, new directions for further cooperation, and possible forms of partnership between IFAS and international organizations. They agreed to prioritize water issues in national and regional strategies and strengthen multilateral cooperation. The Summit concluded with the adoption of the Dushanbe statement by the Heads of State of the founding members of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea.