Today by sharing common interests and challenges, our region has entered the next stage of its development. In this respect, close and constructive political dialogue among all five regional countries will be instrumental for trade, economic, investment, and people-to-people interaction.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
I am confident that our joint work, constant dialog and communication on the basis of mutual respect, consideration of each other's interests, in the spirit of good-neighborliness, will allow us to overcome all obstacles and difficulties, develop and maintain the sense of common interests and unity of the peoples who have inhabited our vast and rich region since time immemorial.
The consequences of climate change and the increasing demand for water resources associated with population growth and the development of economies in the region dictate the need for coordination and joint actions in the field of integrated use of water resources.
Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan
Our countries [of Central Asia] form a single geo-economic space, which implies the development and strengthening of cooperation based on a common vision of their place and role in continental and global processes, awareness and clear formulation of goals, use of available objective opportunities and advantages to achieve them.
Uzbekistan is interested in the region to become a zone of stability, sustainable development and good neighborliness. A peaceful, economically prosperous Central Asia is our most important goal and key task. Uzbekistan is determined to engage in dialogue, constructive interaction and strengthening good-neighborliness.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
The Aral Sea’s progressive disappearance was not because of climate change, it was mismanagement by humankind of water resources. But it also shows that if in relation to climate change, we are not able to act forcefully to tame this phenomenon, we might see this kind of tragedy multiply around the world.
António Guterres, UN Secretary General
For the past 30 years IFAS has been instrumental in addressing the complex interplay of water use and management across many sectors in Central Asia. Today, regional collaboration is more important than ever, and countries of Central Asia need a stronger, financially sustainable IFAS with a broader mandate to effectively support this evolving agenda.
EU works together with Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to support them in their climate action and green transition. Our cooperation has significantly expanded, but we need to do more together to protect the environment and turn climate challenges into green growth opportunities.
A lot of water sources are shared. So working together is the beginning point to set up cooperative arrangements, institutions between the governments of the region that make practical solutions possible to handle the problem.
Dan Smith, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Director