A High-Level panel session on “Water as a factor of economic growth and security in Central Asia” within the frame of the XII Astana Economic Forum took place on May 17, 2019, in Nur-Sultan. The session, jointly organized by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Blue Peace Central Asia initiative, and the International Water Assessment Centre, focused on ways to deepen the water cooperation considering water in its economic value. Developing and implementing watershed services was considered as a possible approach. The roundtable, attended by over 70 participants of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya riparian states, was declared as a starting point towards building a common understanding around shared benefits based on sustainable use of water and efficient allocation of financial resources.