Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 10 April, an international scientific-practical conference was held in Tashkent on the theme: "Water Diplomacy in Central Asia: Trust, Dialogue, and Multilateral Cooperation for Sustainable Development."

The water-climate dialogue, organized by the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, gathered over 100 participants from more than 10 countries, including representatives of states sharing the basins of two major rivers in Central Asia — the Amu Darya and Syr Darya, as well as 15 international and regional organizations, experts, and specialists from relevant research institutes in Asia and Europe.

In his opening speech, Akramjon Neymatov, the First Deputy Director of ISMI, emphasized that the forum exemplified a broad expert, scientific-political dialogue aimed at enriching and enhancing regional cooperation.

He stated that in the face of global crises and conflicts, Central Asia demonstrates an alternative opportunity to create a space for mutually beneficial cooperation based on respect, solidarity, and the pursuit of joint sustainable development.

"Central Asian states, which were considered a zone of contradictions and disagreements just a decade ago, are now collectively making significant contributions to addressing both regional and global issues, including, of course, in the water-climate sector," emphasized the expert.

In this context, the ISMI representative mentioned that next month, an international conference on glacier preservation is expected to be held in Dushanbe. In 2026, the Regional Climate Summit of Central Asia will be held in Astana, and in 2027, the second Global Mountain Summit "Bishkek+" will take place in Bishkek. In 2028, Dushanbe will host the High-Level Conference on the results of the International Decade for Action "Water for Sustainable Development" (2018-2028).

Today, as the expert believes, the water-climate agenda is transitioning from a factor that once divided the Central Asian states into a driving force for regional cooperation. In other words, Central Asian countries are united in the belief that only by combining efforts can they effectively address modern challenges, including water security.

In these circumstances, according to Neymatov, water diplomacy has gained particular relevance as a tool to advance an effective model for water cooperation not only in Central Asia but globally.

He noted that in 2023, the UN General Assembly called for the development of water diplomacy as an independent academic discipline and a separate direction of international cooperation.

"Water diplomacy is not a new phenomenon for our region; all our countries are promoting it. Effective practices have already emerged, and now it is essential to consolidate the accumulated experience, conceptualize it, and widely incorporate it into our daily activities. I am confident that water diplomacy will strengthen the achieved dynamics of mutually beneficial solutions to the region’s water problems, making it of critical and strategic importance in relations between our countries," said Neymatov.

He also emphasized that one of the main pillars of water diplomacy is inclusivity, involving all interested parties. In this context, he particularly noted that for the first time in multilateral dialogues with Central Asian countries, a delegation from Afghanistan participated in an expanded format, signaling the willingness to engage in constructive cooperation with Central Asian states.

As Neymatov pointed out, just a month ago, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution to establish the UN Regional Center for Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty, initiated by Kazakhstan in co-authorship with Central Asian countries.

"This is yet another indicator that we view Afghanistan as an integral part of Central Asia and are ready to cooperate with our neighboring state based on mutual respect and consideration of each other’s interests for the benefit of security, stability, and sustainable development in our shared region," he stated.

"All issues, no matter how acute, should be the subject of dialogue, not an obstacle to it. And diplomacy, including water diplomacy, can be the key to establishing such a dialogue and jointly finding mutually beneficial solutions," concluded Neymatov.

The conference was organized in partnership with the Ministry of Water Management of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers, as well as the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the German Society for International Cooperation, the International Water Management Institute, and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

Representatives from the Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia, the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, the Scientific Information Center of the Interstate Coordination Water Commission, and other organizations participated in the conference.