Tokayev proposes regional biodiversity convention office in Almaty

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has proposed a regional office of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Almaty. Speaking at the COP17 Leaders' Summit on Biodiversity Conservation in Yerevan, he said the office could support Central Asian countries in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Tokayev also called on international partners to back Kazakhstan's proposed International Fund for the Protection of Rare Species and Biodiversity Conservation. He said Kazakhstan has adopted a 10-year national biodiversity program and is setting up a National Biodiversity Genetic Bank.

On water, Kazakhstan is promoting an intergovernmental program to preserve the Caspian Sea's water resources, with support from Caspian littoral states. Tokayev also urged greater use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, proposing the International Artificial Intelligence Center in Astana as a research platform.