Caravanserai

Central Asian states team up to save Aral Sea

Caravanserai

TURKMENBASHI, Turkmenistan -- Government officials from Central Asian countries, as well as representatives of international NGOs and financial organisations, convened in Turkmenbashi Friday (August 24) to discuss ways to save the Aral Sea, reported the Uzbekistan National News Agency.

The Soviet Union, to irrigate cotton farms in Central Asia starting in the 1960s, eventually drained the Aral Sea of about 90% of its volume, according to Vox.com.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who attended the meeting, identified the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea as a potentially effective mechanism for co-operation in restoring the sea.

Mirziyoyev proposed boosting the dormant organisation by carrying out research and seeking innovative solutions and foreign investment.

Delegations from all five Central Asian countries agreed on the link between sharing water resources and ensuring security and stability in the region.

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