Kazakhstan Affirms Support for Azerbaijan"s Initiative to Form Expert Group on Caspian Sea Crisis

Noting that climate change is affecting global water cycles, Tokayev said water-related disasters account for more than 80% of natural disasters.

Photo credit: AZERTAC

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed his country’s support for Azerbaijan's proposal to establish an expert group focused on the environmental challenges facing the Caspian Sea, including marine pollution and declining water levels.

“The Caspian Sea is in danger. Saving the biggest lake in the world is a matter of common concern that requires long-term international cooperation. We support the initiative of (Azerbaijani) President Ilham Aliyev to establish a group of experts from the Caspian states,” Tokayev said in an address to the World Leaders Climate Action Summit in Baku, The Caspian Post reports, citing foreign media. 

Noting that climate change is affecting global water cycles, Tokayev said water-related disasters account for more than 80% of natural disasters.

He further said that his country is also intensifying efforts to preserve the Aral Sea, previously the world’s fourth-largest lake, though it has significantly dried up over the past few decades.

Various international organizations, including the UN, have reported dropping water levels and pollution at the Caspian Sea, which is surrounded by Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan.

Commenting on Kazakhstan’s planned construction of its first nuclear power plant, Tokayev said that they are committed to the project’s safety and efficiency by partnering with global technology leaders.

Indicating that Kazakhstan exports 43% of the world’s uranium supply, Tokayev also said that Astana is ready to be a key supplier of energy transition minerals.

“We see many opportunities for cooperation. Our principal position (is) that the demand in these minerals should be responsible and socially just,” Tokayev said, adding that Kazakhstan plays a critical role in low-carbon nuclear power generation.