National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan

The event was attended by the Deputy Chairman of the National Council of the People's Political Consultative Council of the People's Republic of China, Governor of Shandong Province, Head of Qingdao City, Vice President of Iran, Prime Minister of Myanmar, and Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Azerbaijan, Ministers of Ecology and Environment of the SCO member states and observers, including Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Cambodia, Maldives, and the and UAE, as well as diplomats, scientists, and representatives of leading international institutions and organizations.

At the forum's opening, a Vice Chairwoman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Shen Yueyue, read out a message from Chinese President Xi Jinping, who noted that protecting the environmental environment and promoting green development is a consensus of the SCO countries.

"China hopes to enhance exchanges and cooperation with all parties in the field of green development through the current forum to promote the sustainable socio-economic development of all countries and promote the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. We are ready to work with all sides to develop the "Shanghai spirit", strengthen cohesion and interaction, promote green development, jointly create a new chapter of common development, and jointly build an even closer community of the SCO's common destiny",  Xi Jinping noted in the message.

In turn, speaking at the opening of the forum, SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming stressed the importance of deepening cooperation in the field of ecology and environmental protection between the SCO countries and explained the organization's approaches to creating a "green" environment, forming a healthy lifestyle, and ensuring sustainable development in the region. He also highlighted the results achieved within the framework of the "SCO Year of Ecology 2024" and other mechanisms and called on all parties to further strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation and contribute to healthy, stable, and sustainable development.

In his speech, Aziz Abdukhakimov called on the SCO member states to support the initiative to develop an agreement on cooperation in combating climate change with specific measures to achieve common goals and objectives in the field of "green" development proposed by President Sh.M. Mirziyoyev at the SCO Council of Heads of State, as well as to actively participate in the creation and work of the Center for Innovative Climate Solutions SCO in Tashkent, aimed at conducting in-depth research in the field of environmental sustainability and "green" growth.

Within the framework of the event, the delegation of Uzbekistan took part in a high-level panel session on the main environmental challenges and practices of the SCO countries to address them. The participants were provided with information about the field visit of the Ministry's delegation before the start of the Forum to study China's positive experience in combating desertification, desalination, and disinfection of soil, as well as countering the movement of sand.

During the session, A. Abdukhakimov proposed to widely disseminate this positive practice of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and create a single center for combating desertification of the SCO member states in Uzbekistan.