Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Edil Baisalov, met with Dr. Koustubh Sharma, Science and Conservation Director at the Snow Leopard Trust (SLT), along with representatives of the GSLEP Secretariat to discuss the upcoming ninth Steering Committee Meeting of the GSLEP program. Scheduled for June 5–6, 2025, at Lake Issyk-Kul, the meeting will bring together representatives from the 12 snow leopard range countries, international organizations, donors, and experts in conservation, climatology, and sustainable development.
Mr. Baisalov emphasized the meeting’s importance for snow leopard and ecosystem conservation, highlighting the need for international cooperation. He expressed gratitude to the Snow Leopard Trust for its support of snow leopard population research in Kyrgyzstan.
Discussions centered on the meeting’s agenda, including green economy development, transboundary cooperation, combating wildlife trafficking, and ecotourism development, with a focus on climate resilience and biodiversity conservation.
Dr. Sharma congratulated Kyrgyzstan on the UN General Assembly’s declaration of October 23 as International Snow Leopard Day, the first UN day dedicated to a big cat species.
