On 11 December 2025, Lobar Umarova, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Strategic and Regional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISRS), participated in an international expert meeting dedicated to the development of water cooperation in the Middle East, held in Istanbul.

The event was organized by the Water Diplomacy Center of the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) with the support of the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). The forum brought together high-level representatives and leading experts from Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey.

The meeting took place within the framework of the Blue Peace Middle East initiative, a non-governmental regional project funded by Switzerland, aimed at strengthening cooperation and promoting the sustainable use of water resources to support peace in the Middle East.

In her speech, Lobar Umarova provided a detailed overview of comprehensive reforms in Uzbekistan’s water sector and presented the country’s vision for the joint use of water resources in Central Asia. She stated, “Our goal is to implement a highly efficient water management system that combines innovative solutions, careful resource management, and strong regional partnerships.”

It was noted that in recent years, Uzbekistan’s water management sector has undergone systemic and structural transformations in line with key national documents, including the Water Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Water Management Development Concept for 2020–2030, the Uzbekistan-2030 Strategy, and the Water and Irrigation Management Program for 2025–2028.

The ISRS expert emphasized that the country’s water policy is already yielding tangible results. For example, the share of irrigated land using water-saving technologies has increased from 4% in 2020 to nearly 50% in 2025.

Regarding regional cooperation, Lobar Umarova reaffirmed Uzbekistan’s commitment to developing mutually beneficial cooperation on the joint use of water resources in Central Asia, taking into account the interests of all parties.

As a result of the meeting, participants expressed confidence in the continued development of partnerships with Uzbekistan in the field of water diplomacy, highlighting the country’s important role as an active participant in regional sustainable development.