Following the meeting of the Council of Heads of Founding States of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, which was held in Dushanbe on September 15, 2023, the chairmanship of the fund passes to the Republic of Kazakhstan from January 1, 2024, reports NIAT “Khovar”. Chairman of the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea Sulton Rahimzoda said that the decisions taken by the heads of state of Central Asia and the assigned tasks will serve as an impetus for the development of the fund’s activities and the solution of existing water, energy and environmental problems. As a result of the meeting, four important documents were signed, including the Dushanbe Statement by the heads of the founding states of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. In the document, the heads of state noted the key role of water resources for the sustainable development of Central Asia and emphasized the extreme importance of water cooperation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, peace, stability and prosperity of the region. “The leaders of the Central Asian countries once again emphasized the key importance of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea as a unique regional institution for ensuring mutually beneficial cooperation between the countries of Central Asia for the purposes of the environmental, socio-economic, water, and energy situation in the Aral Sea basin”, - noted Sulton Rahimzoda.