Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - An article entitled “Uzbekistan calls for supporting the initiative to declare Aral Sea to be a zone of environmental innovations and technologies” has been posted on the Omani newspaper Vijkhat’s website, Dunyo news agency reported.

The author of the article, Yusuf Balushi, tells his readers about the results of the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the SCO member states held on 1-2 November in Tashkent, relevant issues discussed at the event, including promising areas of strengthening and developing cooperation within the framework of this international organization.

The material notes that at the forum, Uzbekistan called on the SCO member states to intensify joint efforts to counter the effects of the drying out of the Aral Sea.

“Prime Minister A. Aripov said in his speech that in order to jointly find solutions to environmental problems and water scarcity, Uzbekistan proposes to develop and adopt a SCO “green belt” program. In this regard, the head of the Uzbek government urged member countries to support the republic’s initiative to proclaim Aral Sea as a "zone of environmental innovation and technology," the newspaper writes.

Balushi reports that, following the results of the Tashkent forum, the new version of the SCO member states multilateral trade and economic cooperation program for the period up to 2035, a plan for implementing the SCO food security program and the concept of interaction between railway administrations were approved.