Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A meeting was held at the International Innovation Center of the Aral Sea with Aziz Abduhakimov, Minister of Ecology, Environment, and Climate Change, and a delegation of scientists and professors from various international institutions.

Participants included experts from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the International Center for Development of Bio-Saline Agriculture (UAE), the International Center for Arid Land Studies at Tottori University (Japan), and the Institute of Bio-Resources of Mie University (Japan).

The collaboration includes a project titled "Development of Sustainable Production Systems in Less Developed Areas of Karakalpakstan," conducted with the International Center for Development of Bio-Saline Agriculture between 2023 and 2025. Additionally, a project on efficient water use and salinity management using specialized desalination film is being carried out in partnership with the International Center for Arid Land Studies at Tottori University.

During the meeting, delegates were introduced to innovative projects and activities being implemented at experimental sites within the Center. The discussion covered ongoing projects and initiatives, and the guests visited the "Aral Dream" exhibition and the joint laboratory focused on the research, development, and demonstration of green technologies in the Aral Sea region.

The meeting concluded with the identification of planned tasks, new projects, and directions for further strengthening collaboration. This is expected to enhance relations between the parties and achieve important strategic goals.

For reference: At the International Innovation Center of the Aral Sea, joint projects with the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography have involved experimental work on 23 species of non-traditional salt-tolerant halophytes over an area of 3.7 hectares in the Samankand and Muynak experimental plots. A drip irrigation system has been created, and a small meteorological station has been installed. Additionally, a joint laboratory for research, development, and demonstration of green technologies has been established, with laboratory equipment worth 1 million yuan (US$127,000) supplied from China. An experimental planting of the medicinal plant "Cistanche" has also been conducted at the Muynak experimental site with Chinese scientists.