DUSHANBE, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, hosted the first high-level international conference on glacier preservation on Friday, the country's Khovar news agency reported.

The event brought together more than 2,500 participants, including experts from 80 countries, heads of government delegations, senior representatives of regional and international organizations, research institutions, and development partners.

The conference was organized within the framework of the International Year of Glacier Preservation, an initiative proposed by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and endorsed during the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The opening of the conference marked the launch of a new global initiative: the Dushanbe Process for Glacier Preservation.

In his keynote speech, Rahmon said the outcomes of the conference, including the Dushanbe Declaration and the Dushanbe Glaciers Appeal, would serve as a foundation for coordinated international action on glacier preservation. ■