Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — An online meeting was held at the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change of Uzbekistan with representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change of Qatar to discuss cooperation prospects and the implementation of joint projects.

The Uzbek side expressed interest in close collaboration on projects related to green growth, biodiversity conservation, greenhouse gas emission reduction, climate change adaptation, as well as monitoring and reducing air pollution, preventing sandstorms, and combating desertification.

In response, the Qatari side showed interest in exchanging experience on biodiversity conservation, specifically regarding a project for the breeding and release of the rare and endangered bustard species.

The discussions also covered the creation of partnerships between Qatari universities — Qatar University and Hamad Bin Khalifa University — and the Central Asian University of Environmental Studies and Climate Change (Green University) in the fields of ecology, natural resource management, and sustainable development.

Additionally, there are plans to establish an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in environmental protection between Qatar and Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan is interested in learning from Qatar’s ecological and green practices, as both countries share an arid climate and face similar environmental and climate challenges. For instance, Qatar is implementing the "Ten Million Trees" project by 2030 and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030. Plans also include improving air quality standards and creating a national air quality monitoring network.

At the end of the meeting, both sides agreed to arrange additional meetings between the environmental protection agencies of the two countries and to organize a working visit by the Qatari delegation to Uzbekistan.