On February 12, 2026, the Kazakh Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (KazISS) held a working meeting with representatives of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Barbara Janusz-Pawlett, Head of IWMI Office in Uzbekistan and Regional Representative for Central Asia, and Iskandar Abdullayev, Senior Researcher at IWMI.
The focus of discussion was on priority areas of cooperation and possibility of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), as well as preparation of a joint analytical note on water safety issues.
The parties confirmed their mutual interest in strengthening their partnership, including joint research, exchange of expert knowledge and participation in international scientific and analytical initiatives. Particular attention was paid to practical aspects of cooperation, alignment of thematic priorities, formats for expert exchanges and mechanism for preparing joint analytical materials.
Following the meeting, an agreement was reached to continue working on MoU project and to begin coordinating work on a joint analytical note focusing on current challenges to water safety and sustainable water resource management in Central Asia.
