DM Monitoring
BRATISLAVA: In Bratislava, the ceremony of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of water resources between the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic took place Kazakh Foreign Affairs Ministry said.
Magzum Myrzagaliev, Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources signed (in advance) the document from Kazakh side while Ján Budaj, Minister of the Environment of Slovakia, signed the document from the Slovak side today. Roman Vassilenko, Ambassador of Kazakhstan in Bratislava, attended the signing ceremony at the Ministry of the Environment.
The conclusion of this document provides an opportunity to build up scientific and technical cooperation between Kazakhstan and Slovakia in the field of water research, conduct joint monitoring of transboundary waters, interaction and exchange of experience on interdepartmental, bilateral and multilateral cooperation on issues related to water resources.
Cooperation activities under the Memorandum will be implemented in the form of joint projects, information exchange and research activities. In light of successful experience of the Slovak Republic in supporting the activities of the International Water Assessment Center (IWAC), which was previously located in Slovakia, and now is located in Nur-Sultan, as well as in connection with the chairmanship of Kazakhstan in the Bureau of the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention), this document is particularly important for both sides of the Memorandum. Of interest will be interaction on the implementation of advanced European expertise, scientific and technical innovations in the management and protection of water resources, monitoring the quantity and quality of surface waters, including in the context of climate change, as well as other areas related to water resources.
“We believe the capability for cooperation between our countries in the field of ecology is very extensive, and not only in the field of water management,” Ambassador Vassilenko told the Slovak minister during meeting following the ceremony.
He informed the interlocutor about the state of environmental protection in Kazakhstan, measures to overcome the legacy of nuclear tests at the former Semipalatinsk nuclear test site and of the drying up of the Aral Sea, the efforts of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the government in strengthening environmental protection and developing more energy efficient and responsible economy. Particular emphasis was placed on the developed draft of the new Environmental Code and the implementation of the Concept for the transition to «green» economy. He also spoke about the trends in the field of water resources management in Central Asia and the state of interaction among the five countries, noting that the Slovak experience in the field of transboundary cooperation with neighboring countries, first of all, regarding the Danube River, and the implementation of the mentioned Water Convention, was very important for Kazakhstan.
