DUSHANBE, Tadjikistan

On 4 June in Dushanbe, SRSG Natalia Gherman met with H.E. Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan.

The meeting took place in advance of the 2nd International High-Level Conference on the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028”.

Highlighting the importance of the upcoming Conference, the Special Representative underlined Tajikistan’s important role in promoting co-operation on water and climate at the regional and global level.

SRSG informed  the Minister about the preparations and expected results of the pre-conference Forum on “Water and Mountains” that UNRCCA and UNESCO co-organize as part of the “Dushanbe process” agenda on 6 June, with the participation of five Central Asian States, international experts and partners.

She also expressed high appreciation for an active support of Tajikistan of the activities within the recently adopted UNRCCA “Strategy in support of water, energy and environmental cooperation among the states of Central Asia for 2022-2025. "

SRSG highlighted Tajikistan’s significant role in enhancing regional co-operation in the field of counterterrorism and, in particular with regard to the activities within the framework of the Joint Plan of Action for the Implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

The sides also exchanged views on the security developments in the region, including border issues and challenges to regional security related to the situation in Afghanistan. In the context of the discussion of the situation in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO), the Special Representative offered to broaden the United Nation’s engagement in the region with the focus on vulnerable groups.

The Minister stressed the high level of engagement and the important role played by the UNRCCA’s in contributing to further strengthening peace and security and the regional co-operation in Central Asia.