The conference platform brought together governmental delegations from eight countries: Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
Under the theme of "Global Environmental Challenges on the Path to Sustainable Development," the forum served as a platform to discuss partnerships for tackling international issues.
During the thematic session "Ecotourism: A Nation’s Calling Card," Daria Petrova, Director of the "Irbis" Association, presented the experience of filming the documentary "Master of the Altai Mountains" about the region’s snow leopards.

Today, the Interregional Association "Irbis" is an active participant in international projects aimed at conserving biodiversity within the snow leopard’s range. This year, the Association was officially admitted as a participant in the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme (GSLEP).
The "Irbis" Association extends its gratitude to Sberbank of Russia and personally to Herman Oskarovich Gref for their fruitful cooperation in the sphere of snow leopard conservation and for their support of the Association’s environmental projects.

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We thank our international colleagues for the joint work, the exchange of experience, and the comprehensive support in the cause of preserving the snow leopard and its prey base. We have much to learn, and we are pleased to continue our joint programmes for the study and conservation of the snow leopard

emphasised Daria Petrova.