BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 8. Uzbekistan sees
Azerbaijan’s participation in the Consultative Meetings of the
Heads of State of Central Asia as creating a basis for a unified
transport space across Eurasia.


The Uzbek Foreign Ministry provided the assessment in an
exclusive interview with Trend ahead of the meeting of the Council of Foreign
Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS),
addressing environmental challenges in the Caspian region, regional
cooperation and Uzbekistan's ties with Azerbaijan.


“The accession of Azerbaijan to the Consultative Meetings of the
Heads of State of Central Asia creates a basis for a unified
transport space in the Eurasian region,” the ministry said.


Caspian Sea decline


Uzbekistan is closely monitoring changes in the environmental
situation in the Caspian Sea, according to the ministry.


"Uzbekistan is following the changes in the environmental
situation in the Caspian Sea with serious concern," it said.


According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the sea level
has declined by about two meters since the 1990s, while forecasts
allow for a further decline of 8-21 meters.


Studies by the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of
Sciences, the Geophysical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences
and Tver State University, conducted with the participation of the
Impuls NGO, found that the Caspian Sea level declined at an average
rate of 8.2 centimeters per year in 2005-2019. The rate increased
to 22.7 centimeters per year in 2020-2024.


The ministry also said that the area of the Caspian Sea has
decreased by 7.4% over the past 30 years.


According to the ministry, the shallowing of the Caspian is
driven by a combination of factors, including climate warming,
increased evaporation and declining river inflows into the sea.


Uzbekistan said the trend could have serious consequences,
including changes in the coastline, ecosystem degradation, threats
to Caspian seal and sturgeon populations, a risk of dust storms
from exposed seabeds, and increased pressure on coastal communities
and the regional economy.


For Uzbekistan, the issue also has a direct economic dimension
because the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor carries part of the
country's cargo traffic to Europe.


"The shallowing of the Caspian Sea limits the permissible draft
of vessels and prevents them from being fully loaded, resulting in
an average underloading of 35%," the ministry said.


"This reduces the carrying capacity of the fleet, increases the
unit cost of cargo transportation and requires dredging and the
extension of berths," it added.


Uzbekistan backs joint Caspian action


Uzbekistan supports Kazakhstan's initiative to develop an
Interstate Program for the Conservation of the Caspian Sea's Water
Resources, which was reflected in the outcome documents of the
seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the Tehran
Convention held in Tehran in September 2026.


"In our view, priority attention in developing the program
should be given to creating a unified system for monitoring the sea
level, its water balance and the condition of ecosystems, with
regular data exchange," the ministry said.


The program should also focus on joint scientific research and
forecasting, reducing pollution and preserving biodiversity,
according to Uzbekistan.


"Important areas also include adapting port infrastructure and
shipping to changes in sea levels, attracting expertise from UN
institutions and securing financial support from international
financial institutions," the ministry said.


Uzbekistan also pointed to the "Central Asian Environmental
Solidarity" declaration signed by the presidents of Uzbekistan,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan at a regional
environmental summit in Astana on April 22, 2026.


The declaration highlights the need to protect major water
bodies in the region, including the Caspian and Aral seas and Lake
Issyk-Kul.


Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan prepare new environmental
agreement


Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are working on a new intergovernmental
agreement on environmental cooperation and the creation of a joint
working group, the ministry said.


"Environmental partnership between our countries is based on the
Agreement on Cooperation in Environmental Protection concluded in
2008. Today, the sides are working on a new intergovernmental
agreement and the establishment of a joint working group," it
said.


The two countries have also been exchanging experience at
international conferences, including within the CIS, the Economic
Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the Organization of Turkic
States (OTS).


"Special momentum was given to this work by the Conferences of
the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP28
and COP29," the ministry said.


During COP29 in Baku, environment ministers from OTS member
states signed a Declaration of Intent to strengthen coordination in
the environmental sector.


The ministry also highlighted the Asian Development Bank's
regional "Glaciers to Farms" program, launched with partners during
COP29 to strengthen climate resilience and food security across
Central Asia, the South Caucasus and Pakistan.


The program envisages mobilizing up to $3.5 billion for
sustainable water management and agriculture, including improving
irrigation efficiency, water storage and the rational allocation of
water, watershed management and support for vulnerable
communities.


The program is scheduled to run from 2026 through 2035 and is
aimed at strengthening regional cooperation on climate change
adaptation.


Another major development during COP29 was the signing by the
presidents of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan of an agreement
on strategic partnership in the development and transmission of
green energy.


Under the project, wind and solar energy will be exported, which
"will allow for mitigating the impact on the climate," the Uzbek
ministry said.


Youth engagement and environmental education have also become
important areas of cooperation between Uzbekistan and
Azerbaijan.


In June 2024, an International Youth Environmental Camp was held
in Samarkand and Tashkent, bringing together environmental
activists from Central Asian countries as well as representatives
of Azerbaijan, Hungary and Türkiye.


The event focused on engaging young people in the climate
agenda, exchanging experience and developing environmental
initiatives. It resulted in the launch of the international
volunteer network "Young Climate Champions" and a platform for
promoting environmental awareness.


The cooperation continued with Azerbaijan's participation in the
Samarkand Climate Forum on April 4-5, 2025.


Azerbaijan's special representative of the President for climate
issues participated in the forum, while Azerbaijani youth activists
took part in a special youth session titled "Youth: Optimistic
About the Future."


"This contributed to expanding direct dialogue and exchange of
experience between the two countries on climate change,
environmental education and youth engagement in the implementation
of climate initiatives," the ministry said.


Uzbekistan calls for stronger Caspian environmental
mechanisms


Uzbekistan also highly values the existing legal framework for
protecting the Caspian Sea, according to the ministry.


"Uzbekistan highly values the existing legal framework for the
Caspian Sea. Its foundation is the Tehran Framework Convention for
the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, which
this year marked 20 years since its entry into force," the ministry
said.


Three protocols are currently in force under the convention: the
Aktau Protocol on combating pollution from oil, which has been in
force since 2016; the Moscow Protocol on protection from pollution
from land-based sources, in force since 2023; and the Protocol on
Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, which
entered into force in November 2025.


The ministry also highlighted agreements covering:




  • cooperation on security in the Caspian Sea;




  • cooperation in Caspian Sea hydrometeorology;




  • prevention and response to emergencies in the Caspian Sea;




  • conservation and rational use of aquatic biological
    resources;




  • transport cooperation among the Caspian littoral states;




  • trade and economic cooperation among the Caspian littoral
    states.




"Although Uzbekistan is not a Caspian littoral state, it
respects the key role of the Caspian countries in this area. At the
same time, the shallowing of the sea is a challenge of a new scale
that requires further development of these mechanisms," the
ministry said.


According to Uzbekistan, the effectiveness of regional
cooperation could be improved through the full implementation of
existing agreements and by discussing the Caspian agenda on
multilateral platforms.


"Improving the effectiveness of cooperation would be facilitated
by the full implementation of the above-mentioned agreements, as
well as discussion of this agenda on multilateral platforms,
including with the involvement of the United Nations and
international financial institutions," the ministry said.


Uzbekistan also said it could contribute to these efforts
through its experience in addressing environmental challenges in
the Aral Sea.


"Uzbekistan, for its part, could contribute to this work,
including through the exchange of scientific and practical
experience accumulated in addressing the environmental problems of
the Aral Sea," the ministry said.


Baku Port key link for Uzbek cargo


Uzbekistan also sees significant potential for expanding
regional transport and economic connectivity with Azerbaijan.


Relations between the two countries, based on strategic
partnership and alliance, are gaining practical momentum, according
to the ministry.


"The relations of strategic partnership and alliance, enshrined
in the Treaty on Allied Relations of August 23, 2024 and the Treaty
of Eternal Friendship of August 23, 2026, are being filled with
practical content," the ministry said.


Bilateral trade has tripled over the past five years, while the
two countries have set a target of increasing trade turnover to $1
billion by 2030. A joint investment company with capital of $500
million is also operating between the two countries.


"Azerbaijan (the Port of Baku) is a key link of the Middle
Corridor for Uzbek cargo," the ministry said.


Uzbek cargo transportation along the Middle Corridor doubled
over five years to 1.2 million tons in 2025.


The corridor's share of Uzbekistan's freight turnover with the
European Union has also more than doubled, rising from 12% in 2021
to 28% currently, according to the ministry.


"Priority areas of cooperation include the accelerated launch of
a joint fleet in the Caspian Sea, the integration of the
China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway with the Middle Corridor, and
further digitalization of transportation through e-Permit, e-CMR
and eTIR," the ministry said.


The ministry also highlighted Azerbaijan's participation in the
Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia.


According to the Uzbek side, Azerbaijan's participation "creates
a basis for a unified transport space across the Eurasian
region."