Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Yermek Kosherbayev met with Retno Marsudi, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water.
During the talks, Kosherbayev highlighted the growing importance of the envoy’s mandate amid increasing global water security challenges, noting that worsening conditions in this area could trigger economic, environmental, and social crises.
He also underscored the relevance of Marsudi’s visit ahead of the upcoming Regional Ecological Summit in Astana, where water security is expected to be a key focus.
The minister presented President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s initiative to establish an International Water Organization under UN auspices, emphasizing its timeliness in light of rising risks of conflicts over access to water resources and their impact on global peace and security.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides agreed to maintain constructive cooperation on water-related issues at the global and regional levels, including through the UN Regional Centre for Sustainable Development in Almaty.
