Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 14-15 September 2023, in Dushanbe, under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, the Fifth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of States of Central Asia was held, as well as the next meeting of the Council of Heads of Founding States of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS).

The agenda of the Consultative Meeting made it possible to bring up for discussion important issues of strengthening regional cooperation, developing industrial cooperation, transport connectivity, ensuring energy security and overcoming food security problems.

The main result of the summit was the adoption of the Joint Statement of the Heads of State of Central Asia.

Addressing the meeting participants, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, among the important initiatives, proposed the development of joint measures to create conditions for barrier-free movement of essential food products, as well as seeds, fertilizers and chemicals.

The head of Uzbekistan also identified vulnerabilities in ensuring food security in the Central Asian region. These are insufficient scientific and technological development of the agricultural sector, acute shortage of water resources, ineffective value chains, instability to the climate crisis and logistics failures, and issues of healthy nutrition.

This initiative is also consistent with the vision of UN Secretary-General A. Guterres that many food systems of the modern world need transformation - in the interests of people, nature and climate and the common future of people.

It is in this regard, as well as against the background of growing problems in the field of global food security in September 2021. The UN Secretary-General was the initiator of the convening and holding of the Food Systems Summit in New York, which has become the most relevant and timely major forum for developing optimal solutions to ensure the provision of essential food products in the context of recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Here it is appropriate to note the results of the conference held on 7-8 September 2023 in Samarkand, an international conference on food security, the participants of which especially emphasized the complex relationship between water resources and food production.

It was also noted that sustainable water management practices are critical to ensuring a safe and sustainable food supply.

The adopted final declaration emphasizes the importance of joint actions by countries and international and regional organizations to ensure food security in the context of numerous uncertainties and problems.

The need to create unhindered access to and use of fertilizers for sustainable agri-food production and global food security and nutrition, especially in developing countries, was noted.

Concern was expressed about the increasing uncertainty regarding the prospects for trade in agricultural products. This uncertainty is caused by slowing economic growth, the impact of trade restrictions and barriers on global food security, especially in developing countries.

In this regard, the President of Uzbekistan stated the importance of combining efforts and preparing, with the support of the UN FAO, a regional partnership program in this area.

This program will undoubtedly be key to meeting the needs of the regional market and will expand the ability to export food products to other countries.

Z. Nurmatov,

Head of Economic Research Department, MICA