The second stage of the project
for the preservation of the Small Aral Sea will commence in 2024. Also, next
year, Kazakhstan will assume the chairmanship of the International Fund for
Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS). The country intends to continue work under the Blue
Peace Central Asia (BPCA) program initiated by the Swiss Agency for Development
and Cooperation (SDC). Kazakhstan plans to implement initiatives for
establishing an international water-energy consortium in Central Asia that will
take into account the interests of all parties involved. Besides, the country
is interested in training new personnel and qualification upgrade of operating
experts in the water industry. The first stage of the project for the
preservation of the Small Aral Sea is coming to an end. Representatives of the
program are visiting Central Asian countries to identify the areas to be
covered in the second stage.
“Since 2017, your agency jointly
with Kazakhstan has been intensively advancing the Blue Peace program. The work
was suspended due to the pandemic. I think that now, in cooperation with your
agency, we will be able to intensify our activities within this program,” said
Nurzhan Nurzhigitov, Kazakh Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation.
