Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 4 April, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with Tatiana Molcean, the UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), as part of the Samarkand Climate Forum.

At the beginning of the meeting, the distinguished guest conveyed sincere greetings and warm wishes from UN Secretary-General António Guterres to the Uzbek President.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized the significant role of the ECE in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, as well as its expert support in priority areas such as transportation, innovation, the textile industry, energy, ecology, gender equality, and Uzbekistan’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The parties discussed practical aspects of implementing regional and national projects, as well as advancing initiatives put forward by the President of Uzbekistan at the first summit of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), held in November 2023 in Baku.

The adoption of the Concept for the Development of SPECA until 2030, initiated by Uzbekistan, was positively noted, as well as the signing of a "roadmap" with the ECE to simplify trade procedures. They also highlighted the gradual implementation of measures to digitize and exchange documents within the Trans-Caspian Corridor.

Thanks to the ECE’s assistance, Uzbekistan joined the Aarhus Convention at the beginning of the year, ensuring public access to reliable information on the environmental state.

Currently, discussions are underway regarding the country's accession to the Air Convention and the Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents.

Particular attention during the meeting was given to the importance of swiftly launching the Target Fund for the SPECA Program.