On June 5, GGGI and the Republic of Uzbekistan signed a Host Country Agreement (HCA), harnessing opportunities to support Uzbekistan’s transition toward a low-carbon, climate resilient development pathway. This step is a milestone in the developing partnership between GGGI and Uzbekistan with strong support from President Mirzoyoyev of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In his video message at the P4G Leaders’ Session on May 30, he highlighted the important partnership GGGI will make in supporting Uzbekistan’s progress for achieving a green growth future.
Due to COVID-19, the signing took place virtually with in-person presence by dignitaries and representatives in both Tashkent and Seoul. The Uzbekistan Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulaziz Kamilov and GGGI Director-General, Dr. Frank Rijsberman, signed the HCA on May 25, 2021.
During the virtual signing ceremony, Ambassador Hyoeun Jenny Kim, Deputy-Director-General and Head of Green Growth Planning and Implementation congratulated the Government of Uzbekistan on its strong engagement on the international stage to prioritize green growth and commended the government of Uzbekistan on its reaffirmed commitment to reduce GHG emissions by 10% by 2030 as part of its commitment to achieving its Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement.
Uzbekistan became a full treaty member of the GGGI Assembly on 9 March 2019, and GGGI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the State Committee for Ecology and Environmental Protection (SCEEP) on March 25, 2021.
The signing of a Host Country Agreement provides GGGI with the necessary legal and institutional status to allow it to implement its supporting role as Technical Advisors to the Government of Uzbekistan. To ensure close and effective collaboration, a GGGI country office is being established in Tashkent, embedded within the SCEEP.
GGGI’s priorities in the next 6 months will be to:
- Initiate a three-year KOICA-funded project entitled “Green Rehabilitation Investment Project for Karakalpakstan Republic to address impacts of the Aral Sea Crisis”
- Identify additional green growth priorities for GGGI’s support to Uzbekistan through development of a 5-year Country Planning Framework.
On June 5, on World Environment Day, GGGI and the Government of Uzbekistan announced their joint commitment to cooperate in addressing the technological, financial, capacity building needs to enable the country to achieve a COVID-19 Green Recovery, and to accelerate implementation of its “Strategy for the Transition to a Green Economy for the 2019-2030 Period”.