The President of Uzbekistan emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation with the UN in the fight against desertification and land degradation

On the sidelines of the Samarkand Climate Forum, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, held a meeting with the UN Deputy Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Ibrahim Thiaw.

The distinguished guest conveyed sincere greetings and best wishes to the leader of our country from UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

They discussed current issues related to the further development of cooperation with this authoritative UN body in combating desertification and land degradation in our country and the region.

The UN representative highly praised the speech of the President of Uzbekistan at the forum, noting the relevance of the proposed initiatives to address climate challenges and the timeliness of the presented Concept of "Green" Development for Central Asia.

It was noted with satisfaction that the UN General Assembly unanimously approved the resolution on forest restoration initiated by Uzbekistan in August of last year, and that work has begun on developing national targets to prevent land degradation.

It was agreed to involve experts from the Convention in the establishment of an International Scientific Network to Combat Land Degradation and Desertification, based at the “Green” University in the city of Tashkent.