3rd Ministerial Meeting on Environment

ECO Secretariat, Tehran, 4 July 2006

 

Press Release

     

         

The 3rd ECO Ministerial Meeting on Environment was held on 30 June 2006 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.  It was preceded by the Senior Environmental Officials’ Meeting on 28-29 June 2006, which undertook all the preparatory work for the Ministerial Meeting. The delegations of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Turkey and Republic of Uzbekistan as well as ECO Secretary-General with his staff participated at the Meeting. The representatives of UNEP and CAREC also attended the meeting.

 

The meeting was inaugurated by H.E. Mr. Nurlan Iskakov, Minister of Environment Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and H.E. Askhat Orazbay, ECO Secretary General, who in their statements particularly stressed the importance of the protection of the environment in the region and closer cooperation among the ECO member states in the field of the environment.

 

The Ministers and Heads of Delegation delivered their statements covering the state of the environment in their respective countries, national policies and programs concerning environmental issues as well as regional cooperation in the field of the environment.

 

The meeting reviewed the activities/projects which had been carried out in accordance with the Plan of Action for Cooperation among ECO Member States on Environment (2003-2007) as adopted at the first ECO Ministerial Meeting on Environment held in 2002 in Tehran and amended by the 2nd ECO Ministerial Meeting on Environment held in 2004 in Istanbul, underlined the need for the ECO Member States to continue working together towards its effective and full implementation. The term of the Plan of Action, comprehensively covering all major environmental issues, was extended till the year 2010.

 

           The Ministers and Heads of Delegation welcomed the proposal on the creation of Institute of Environmental Science and Technology for the ECO region, which will provisionally function, on a project basis, within the framework of the existing College of Environment in Iran.

 

           The Meeting requested international organizations (UNEP, IDB, CAREC) as well as the other organizations to assist ECO in developing financial mechanisms for ensuring implementation of projects/activities within ECO Plan of Action on cooperation in the field of environment

 

            The Ministers and Heads of Delegation also had an extensive round table discussion on “Environment and Tourism” issue which was emphasized as an important and promising sphere for future regional cooperation.

          

             They decided that the fourth ECO Ministerial Meeting on Environment be held in the year 2008 and welcomed the offer of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to host it.

           

            The Ministers and Heads of Delegation adopted the Almaty Communiqué on Cooperation in the field of the Environment in which they stressed the regional cooperation on the environment and promotion of environmental awareness in the ECO Region, and expressed their profound gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, particularly to the Ministry of Environment Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the excellent arrangements made for the 3rd ECO Ministerial Meeting on Environment and warm hospitality extended to the participating delegations.

             

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