The Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nurzhan Nurzhigitov held talks with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Switzerland to Kazakhstan, Mr. Salman Bal, and representatives of the Blue Peace Central Asia program, an initiative of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, El.kz reports.
As part of the discussion, Nurzhigitov expressed Kazakhstan's intention to deepen cooperation in the water sector both with the states of Central Asia and with international organizations. Particular attention was paid to the upcoming chairmanship of Kazakhstan in the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea from January 1, 2024 and plans to create an international water and energy consortium in the region.
On the part of Switzerland, Ambassador Bal announced the completion of the first phase of the Blue Peace Central Asia program and the beginning of the second phase aimed at further cooperation and development of water resources. Representatives of the program also emphasized the importance of the hydrogeological forecasting project launched in Uzbekistan with the participation of Central Asian countries.
Blue Peace Central Asia's projects include strengthening regional water institutions, modernizing transboundary waterworks, and training. It is noted that the start of the second phase of the project to save the Small Aral Sea, implemented jointly with the World Bank, is scheduled for next year.
Nurzhigitov expressed hope for close and fruitful cooperation with Blue Peace and emphasized Kazakhstan's interest in improving the skills of water industry specialists. This meeting underscores Kazakhstan's desire to actively participate in international efforts to manage water resources and preserve the Aral Sea ecosystem.