President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov took part in the fourth Asia-Pacific Water Summit (APWS) on Saturday at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
In his speech, the Turkmen President said the Asia-Pacific region today serves as one of the most dynamic poles of global development and progress, the official Turkmen media reports.
“Accordingly a great responsibility falls on the states of this region in their approaches to the issue of conservation and use of water resources of the planet as an integral element in ensuring overall international stability and security based on multilateral consideration of interests, reasonable balance and minimization of damage in the implementation of national and regional socio-economic projects and programs,” President Berdimuhamedov stated.
President Serdar Berdymukhamedov expressed his conviction that the main condition for joint activities in this direction should remain an unconditional commitment to the principle of equal and equitable access to water resources, recognizing it as a fundamental human right.
"Ensuring the right of access to water and the responsibility for it should be the responsibility of all states," Serdar Berdimuhamedov said.
The Head of State highlighted that Turkmenistan closely and consistently cooperates on water issues with the world community, especially the United Nations, on the basis of policy documents that were adopted at the 2012 UN RIO+20 Conference, the 7th World Water Forum in Daegu in 2015, the 2018 Dushanbe High-Level International Conference and other important forums.
An important tool for the implementation of international plans in the water sector for Central Asia, the President of Turkmenistan continued, is the UN General Assembly Resolution "Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea" developed by Turkmenistan and adopted in co-authorship with 19 countries.
"Our position is principled and consistent. Turkmenistan has stated and declares that water and energy problems should be addressed: first, on the basis of universally recognized norms of international law; second, taking into account the interests of each country; third, with the active participation of international organizations, primarily of the United Nations", President Serdar Berdimuhamedov said, expressing confidence that these principles can be universal and applicable in general to the approaches of the international community to water issues.
At the end of his speech, the Turkmen President wished the forum participants of the effective work.
