According to the fund’s website, the Finnish government and the MPTF office in New York signed on May 29 a Standard Administrative Agreement on the Finnish contribution of €1 million to the Trust Fund.

The decision to allocate the said amount was announced by the Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto at the 15th meeting of the Uzbekistan-EU Cooperation Council in Brussels in November 2019.

The money allotted will be used to implement the Unified Fund Strategy agreed by all interested parties, which is aimed at solving 6 interrelated problems – ensuring environmental, economic, food, social security, preserving the health of the population and eliminating the inefficiency of donor assistance.

Finland’s contribution strengthens the status of the Fund as an important platform for multilateral solidarity in overcoming the impact of the Aral Sea crisis on the life and socio-economic status of people.