Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Korea, Nurgali Arystanov, participated in the ceremony of celebrating the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought established by a UN General Assembly resolution in 1994. This event was organized by the Korea Forest Service, El.kz cites MFA.
The event was attended by major Korean companies, private and international organizations, including the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO), E-Mart, Korean Air, Forest of the Future, Global Sharing Movement, Forest of Peace, Green Asia as well as students from ecological clubs promoting anti-desertification activities abroad.
In his congratulatory speech, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan noted the successful cooperation between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Korea in the development of forestry, including a joint project to plant saxaul on the dried bed of the Aral Sea. He emphasized that the “Kazakhstan-Korea Friendship Garden” operates in Astana, which is a symbol of friendship between the Kazakh and Korean peoples.
Furthermore, Nurgali Arystanov highly appreciated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Korea Forest Service during the historic state visit of Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to Kazakhstan on June 11-13, 2024. This memorandum envisages cooperation in combating forest fires and the introduction of advanced technologies for forest monitoring using drones, artificial intelligence, and satellites.
During the event, Nurgali Arystanov also met with the Minister of the Korea Forest Service, Nam Sung-Hyun. The parties discussed the subsequent tasks for cooperation in the forestry sector and exchanged views on the outcomes of the summit between President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and his Korean counterpart, and expressed their intention to enhance bilateral cooperation.