Expert: Collaboration of countries of snow leopard habitat is guarantor of safety of their population

Bishkek, Aug. 24, 2017 / Kabar /. Environmental experts assess the joint work of 12 countries of the snow leopard habitat as a guarantor of the safety of their population.

"The leaders of 12 states, where snow leopards live, have to do a great job and it is worth noting that it is not so easy to come to a common opinion. But the fact that they are already sounding the alarm about preserving the population of rare animals is a big step towards solving this problem. I see that all the states are very interested in this, and I believe that their cooperation will soon bring good results," said Oliver Avramoski, an environmental coordinator for preservation of nature projects.

On October 23, 2013 Bishkek hosted a forum on the protection of the snow leopard under the leadership of President of the Kyrgyz Republic Almazbek Atambayev. Then the Bishkek Declaration on Snow Leopard Protection was unanimously adopted and the integrated Global Program for the Protection of the Snow Leopard and its Ecosystems (GSLEP) was approved, which laid a solid foundation for understanding the problem and principles for the development of high-mountain landscapes and protection of the snow leopard at the active support of all 12 snow leopard countries and the international community in the sphere of environmental protection.

2017 is a middle of the GSLEP program's implementation period, and the Kyrgyz Republic convened the International Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Forum to continue to implement the main idea of snow leopard conservation in order to strengthen political will at the highest level and provide financial support to the GSLEP program, as well as to attract green investments in mountain areas.