The Second Meeting of Ministers of Environment and Ecology of the member countries of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held in Astana, Report informs, citing Kazakhstan's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources.
Representatives of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan, OTS Secretary General Kubanychbek Omuraliyev, and observer countries of the organization participated in the meeting.
During the meeting, it was noted that Turkic countries face common environmental challenges, including climate change, declining water resources, land degradation, the drop in the Caspian Sea level, and the consequences of the Aral Sea drying up. In this regard, the necessity of coordinating actions and strengthening practical cooperation was emphasized.
Kazakhstan's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Yerlan Nyssanbayev stated that the Turkic Green Vision concept, aimed at sustainable development, green transformation, and adaptation to climate change, is of particular importance.
According to him, Kazakhstan proposes focusing on joint work in a number of priority areas, including the protection of biodiversity, development of initiatives on greening and ecosystem restoration, as well as sustainable waste management.
Within the framework of the meeting, a previously signed regional declaration titled "Harmony with Nature for the Sustainable Development of the Region" on cooperation of Central Asian countries in the field of biodiversity conservation was noted. Kazakhstan invited Azerbaijan and Türkiye to join this initiative.
It was also reported that Kazakhstan is implementing large-scale greening programs - since 2021, more than 1.65 billion trees have been planted in the country, and it is planned to reach 2 billion by 2027.
In addition, the republic reaffirms its commitment to international climate obligations under the Paris Agreement, including a 15% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and a possible increase of this figure to 17% by 2035.
Special attention was paid to the development of the circular economy. In particular, at the end of 2025, a waste management concept for 2026–2030 was approved in Kazakhstan, envisaging a transition to a model where waste is viewed as a resource.
Based on the outcomes of the meeting, a Declaration of the Ecology Ministers of the OTS countries was signed.