Ulaanbaatar,
April 23, 2026 /MONTSAME/. President
of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa attended the opening of the Regional Ecological Summit
being held in Astana as part of his State Visit to Kazakhstan.
Mongolia is
participating in the summit with three initiatives focused on water,
pastureland management, and nature-based solutions.
Participants
are discussing eight priority themes, including support for climate transition,
adaptation to climate and natural risks, economic resilience, regional
ecosystems and food security, sustainable natural resource management, air
pollution and waste management, mechanisms for implementing environmental
goals, a just and inclusive transition, and the environment and digital
transformation.
The
summit is expected to define joint policies and strategies to respond to water
shortages, glacier and ice melt, desertification, and air pollution, while also
promoting cooperation among governments, the private sector, and international
organizations in green finance, green technology, and sustainable investment.
Addressing
the opening session, President Khurelsukh thanked President Kassym-Jomart
Tokayev for hosting the summit and said the meeting would make an important
contribution to overcoming global challenges such as climate change,
desertification, and water scarcity through collective action. He
noted that at a time when implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals
remains insufficient globally, Mongolia is actively advancing its “Billions of
Trees” national movement to reduce land degradation and restore forests.
The president also called for cooperation under Mongolia’s initiative of the
International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists to raise recognition of
the sector and promote sustainable pasture management, restoration, investment,
and food security.
He
said Mongolia would work closely to implement proposals and recommendations emerging
from the summit.
President
Khurelsukh also invited countries to actively participate in the 17th
Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, to be
held in Ulaanbaatar in August under the theme “Restoring Land, Restoring Hope.”
He also invited countries to send delegations to the World Women
Parliamentarians Conference, which will be held in October.
President
Tokayev first announced Kazakhstan’s plan to host the Regional Ecological Summit
in 2026 while addressing the 78th session of the United Nations General
Assembly in 2023.
About
1,500 representatives are attending the summit, including heads of state and
government as well as senior officials from Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia,
China, Italy, Germany, and Japan.
Representatives
of the United Nations, international organizations, banks and financial
institutions, including the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, as well
as researchers, civil society, businesses, and media are also participating.
More than 50
cooperation documents, including joint statements, declarations, agreements,
initiatives, investment projects, and programs, are expected to be signed at
the summit, according to the Presidential Office.
