President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov called for stronger regional solidarity on water management and environmental challenges at the Central Asian Heads of State Summit in Tashkent on 16 November. This was reported by the state news agency ‘Turkmenistan: Golden age’.

‘We expect to strengthen cooperation on water use issues on the basis of equality, mutual respect and understanding,’ the Head of State said.

He stressed the need to consolidate efforts in such priority areas as the preservation of the Aral Sea and the fight against desertification, and also noted support for UN initiatives in the field of ecology in the region.

The President expressed his conviction that the formation of a unified position of the Central Asian countries on the international arena will increase the attention of the world community to regional environmental problems.