Samarkand – 2 June 2026
On the eve of the 6th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Environment, Dr. Asad M. Khan, Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Aziz Abdukhakimov, Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change.
The two sides reviewed the successful preparations for the Ministerial Meeting and expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the Senior Officials/Working Group Meeting held earlier in the day. ECO Secretary‑General conveyed deep appreciation to Uzbekistan for its exemplary leadership, including the hosting of the first meeting of the ECO High‑Level Dialogue Platform on Environmental Cooperation in Astana in April 2026.
They also discussed the strategic importance of the upcoming Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Assembly (4 June 2026) and agreed to coordinate efforts to ensure that the ECO region speaks with a stronger collective voice on environmental finance, technology transfer, and simplified access to global funds.
ECO Secretary‑General acknowledged the exceptional support provided by the Uzbek team and the ECO Secretariat’s close collaboration in organizing both the High‑Level Dialogue Platform and the Ministerial Meeting. They exchanged views on future environmental events and the pivotal role Uzbekistan can play in environmental stewardship in the ECO region, highlighting the Uzbekistan’s recent initiative regarding early warning system on sand and dust storms as requisite for effective and data-driven interventions in this area.
The meeting reaffirmed the strong partnership between ECO and Uzbekistan and laid the groundwork for continued cooperation on regional environmental collaboration.
