OTS environment ministers adopt joint declaration at 2nd meeting in Astana
The second meeting of ministers responsible for environment and ecology of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held within the framework of the Regional Ecological Summit on Thursday in Kazakh capital Astana, Qazinform News Agency cites the Organization’s website.
High-level officials from the member states and observers participated in the session, including Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary-General of the OTS; Rauf Hajiyev, Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Yerlan Nyssanbayev, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Akyl Toktobaev, Minister of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic, Hasan Suver, Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of the Republic of Türkiye and Chief Advisor to the President, Aziz Abdukhakimov, Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan – Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Asad Majeed Khan, Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization.
During his address, Secretary General Omuraliev emphasized that the climate crisis acts as a multiplier of inequality, threatening progress across all sectors. He highlighted the critical environmental challenges facing the region, ranging from the Aral Sea disaster and dropping levels of the Caspian Sea to rapid glacial melt and land degradation.
Furthermore, the Secretary General underscored the transition toward a circular economy and the importance of new national climate laws as essential frameworks, as well as the integration of AI-driven systems for achieving sustainability goals.
Referring to the Turkic Green Vision adopted during the 11th Summit of the OTS held on 6 November 2024 in Bishkek, the Secretary General underlined the significance of strengthening regional cooperation in environmental issues, calling for urgent, unified action.
Following the meeting, the sides signed the declaration of the second meeting of the ministers responsible for environment and ecology of the OTS and agreed to hold the next meeting in the Kyrgyz Republic in 2027.
Earlier, Qazinform reported Kazakhstan and the EBRD sign a memorandum to create an energy transition investment platform.
