Russia allocates $33 million for Amu Darya, Syr Darya, and Aral Sea – Putin

Russia has allocated more than $33 million to Central Asian countries to support monitoring of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins, implement water-saving technologies, and establish forests in the dried-up areas of the Aral Sea. This was announced on October 9 by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the second Russia–Central Asia summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

According to Putin, Russia’s trade with Central Asian countries in 2024 will exceed $45 billion. He compared this figure to the $50 billion trade volume with Belarus, emphasizing the region’s vast economic potential.

Putin added that in January–July 2025, trade volume increased by 4%, and the process of switching to national currencies in mutual settlements has begun. Direct bank accounts are being opened, and the volume of Russian investments in the region has surpassed $20 billion.

He noted that Russia allocated more than $33 million to Central Asian states to support monitoring of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya river basins, the introduction of water-saving technologies, and the creation of green zones on the dried bottom of the Aral Sea.

The Russian president also highlighted cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). According to him, countries that are not EEU members received over $1 billion through the Eurasian Stabilization and Development Fund, while the Eurasian Development Bank financed projects in Central Asia worth $8.7 billion.

Putin further noted that ties in education and humanitarian cooperation are expanding: more than 212,000 students from Central Asia are currently studying in Russia, and 25 Russian universities have opened branches in the region.

It is worth noting that at the same summit, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev proposed several initiatives aimed at strengthening strategic partnership, expanding economic cooperation, and jointly ensuring regional stability.