Uzbek envoy said economic crisis, unprecedented since Great Depression in the USA in 1929-1932, put serious economic, social and political problems in almost each state. He added the situation is worsened with protectionism and limitation of access to goods from developing countries in their market, despite all public statements on inadmissibility of such actions.

Murad Askarov called to reforming of current global financial-banking system and strengthening of measures on combating global warming in the planet through exposure of preliminary reasons of unhealthy trends in climate and development of coordinated general efforts directed to their smoothening.

The Central Asia was facing a shortage of freshwater, primarily for food production, and needed to unite and focus on the sustainable management of water resources in agriculture, he said. The Aral Sea in Uzbekistan had shrunk by more than seven times, the volume of water by 12 times, and the Karakum and Kyzyl Kum deserts had expanded.

The lack of water coupled with the poor quality of both water and land throughout Central Asia had impeded agricultural production. The livelihoods of tens of millions of people in the region were at stake, and the situation should not be allowed to pass the point of no return, he said.

He called international community to unite efforts and focus on efforts for achievement of sustainable water management, use of freshwater, first of all for food production. Askarov said this is actual issue for Central Asia, where each state should responsibly and rationally use water resources, from which depends lives and security in separate states and the region as a whole.