QAZAQ GREEN.  The next EU–CA High-Level Conference will take place in Kazakhstan in 2026. It has been announced at the 7th European Union – Central Asia High-Level Conference on Environment and Water Cooperation in Rome on 23-24 February 2023.

More than 100 delegates gathered participated at the Conference. Ministers, deputy ministers, high-level diplomats of the countries of Central Asia (CA), the European Union (EU), the EU Member States, representatives of international financial institutions, international and regional organizations, and civil society involved in development, management and implementation of environment, climate change and water policies, attended the Conference.

The event was organized under the auspices of the EU–Central Asia Platform for Environment and Water Cooperation (Platform) and was hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy.

The participants discussed strategic and pragmatic issues related to water, environment, climate change and sustainable growth in the CA region, while highlighting challenges and opportunities for the CA region to accelerate the green transition and facilitate green investments. Participants underlined the importance of the water-energy interrelation for Central Asia and the need to develop renewable energy sources. The parties also reviewed the results of the Platform’s activities since the previous High-Level Conference held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (2019), discussed the Platform’s priorities for 2023-2025 and agreed on practical steps for enhancing policy dialogue and capacity development in the field of environment, climate change and water in CA.

The Conference provided an opportunity for the EU to reiterate its strong commitment to the CA region in tackling climate change and restoring the environment, including, inter alia, through the Global Gateway Team Europe Initiative on water, energy and climate change in Central Asia. The parties expressed their wish to step up the EU–CA cooperation, as well as CA intraregional cooperation in this area.

The participants agreed to work together to implement the Paris Agreement and make substantial efforts towards achieving climate neutrality, to continue high-level dialogue and cooperation to tackle the severe challenges and growing threats to the environment posed by climate change and biodiversity loss, to encourage and support regional, transboundary and international cooperation on integrated water resources management.