Shavkat Mirziyoyev received Ban Ki-moon

On November 27, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, who currently heads the Assembly of the Global Green Growth Institute and the Ethics Commission of the International Olympic Committee.

Ban Ki-moon arrived in our country to participate in the International Conference on improving the environmental situation in the Aral Sea zone and the role of the Korean diaspora in this process. The event took place in Nukus on November 27.

Warmly welcoming the distinguished guest, the Head of our state deeply noted his great services in strengthening peace and stability and achieving the Millennium Development Goals, including by consolidating the efforts of the world community to counter the global challenges and threats of the modern era.

As UN Secretary-General, he actively supported the initiatives and proposals of Uzbekistan and the countries of the Central Asian region to improve the environmental situation in the Aral Sea region.

During the conversation, prospects for the development of cooperation with international institutions and organizations to promote priority projects in the Aral Sea region were considered.

There was also an exchange of views on the expansion of multifaceted cooperation and the strengthening of the strategic partnership between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea. The contribution of the large Korean diaspora in Uzbekistan to deepening friendship and mutual understanding between the two peoples and countries was noted with satisfaction.

Ban Ki-moon, expressing appreciation for the warm welcome, praised the large-scale reforms and transformations in the framework of the Uzbekistan’s Development Strategy until 2021, which is fully consistent with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The efforts undertaken by Uzbekistan within the framework of the State Program for the Development of the Aral Sea Region for 2018-2021, aimed at a radical improvement of the socio-economic situation in the region, solving environmental problems, developing health care and education systems, and improving infrastructure, were particularly noted.

The initiatives of the Head of our state to create a multiparty Trust Fund for Human Security and the International Innovation Center of the Aral Sea region were fully supported.

Ban Ki-moon reaffirmed his commitment to continue actively promoting the further strengthening of strategic partnership between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea. He also expressed his readiness to closely cooperate with Uzbekistan in alleviating the consequences of the Aral Sea disaster.