On October 16, during his address at the Leaders’ Summit of the UN Biodiversity Conference in Yerevan, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov proposed establishing the Regional Center to Combat Desertification for the countries of Central Asia.

The head of state emphasized the particular importance of this issue, noting the need to strengthen the resilience of arid regions to the effects of climate change. The President of Turkmenistan stressed that this initiative is a key component of international efforts to conserve ecosystems, promote the sustainable use of natural resources, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The President of Turkmenistan also highlighted that successfully achieving global environmental goals is impossible without taking into account the interests and specific needs of developing countries, including landlocked states.