Addressing the plenary session, Ruslan Edelgeriyev said that with a one percent annual growth of global water consumption, attaining the 6th UN Sustainable Development Goal calls for a pivot to applied scientific and technological partnership. The Russian Presidential Aide specifically noted that Russia was ready to confirm its status of a reliable partner by providing its neighbours with access to unique competences in digital water body management, space monitoring, and the introduction of artificial intelligence in irrigation systems.
In addition, Ruslan Edelgeriyev proposed an initiative to enact the potential of the Russian Federation as a respected platform, based on deep scientific research and fair appraisal, to settle the most urgent issues of water shortage in Central Asia. He stressed that the Russian side proceeds from the neutral character of natural resources and the primacy of national sovereignty.
The outcomes of the conference reaffirmed the Central Asian states’ interest in partnership with the Russian Federation based on mutual respect for sovereign rights and regional cooperation.
On the sidelines of the conference, the Aide to the Russian President had a number of bilateral meetings with foreign partners, including heads of delegations from Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The parties discussed the possible use of cutting-edge Russian irrigation complexes and mobile pipelines that make it possible to increase harvests several-fold while considerably reducing water consumption. The key results of the consultations were agreements on deepening technological cooperation and making Russian developments more accessible for Central Asian partners.