Kerry: US to Invest $15Mln in Clean Energy Initiatives in Central Asia

US Secretary of State John Kerry said Washington intends to help five Central-Asian countries develop clean energy.

WASHINGTON(Sputnik) — The United States plans to spend $15 million to assist five central Asian countries develop clean energy, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday at the C5+1 Ministerial in Washington, DC.

"The US will partner with each of the countries here to develop cleaner renewable energy sources," Kerry stated. "[T]he United States intends to invest $15 million in this initiative in order to make sure we get it off the ground as rapidly and effectively as possible."

Kerry added that the renewable energy sources will power the future while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The United States will support the countries as they adapt to the new environmental standards required to combat threats posed by global climate change, Kerry noted.

The five central Asian countries involved in the Ministerial along with the United States are Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.