President of Turkmenistan Attended the Leaders’ Summit Held in Armenia Within the Framework of the Biodiversity Conference

On October 16, the President of Turkmenistan departed from Baku for the Republic of Armenia to participate in the Leaders’ Summit organized within the framework of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17).

The productive interstate relations between Turkmenistan and the Republic of Armenia are based on the traditional principles of friendship, mutual respect and trust. Regular high-level dialogue contributes to the active development of trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation and to enriching it with new content. The two countries also cooperate successfully within major international organizations.

At the venue of the Summit, the President of Turkmenistan was warmly welcomed by Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, after which they posed for a commemorative photograph.

Following the official group photo ceremony of the heads of delegations, the Leaders’ Summit within the framework of the UN Biodiversity Conference began its work.

The Summit agenda included issues related to the protection of ecosystems and biological diversity, the financing of environmental initiatives, and preparations for the main program of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP17).

In his speech, the President of Turkmenistan first expressed sincere gratitude to Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan for the high level of organization of the Summit, the hospitality shown and all the conditions created for productive work. He noted that the current Leaders’ Summit provides states with an opportunity to reaffirm their shared political will to preserve global biodiversity and move from commitments to concrete action.

“Turkmenistan consistently supports the goals and principles of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. We proceed from the understanding that biodiversity loss, climate change, desertification and land degradation are interconnected threats that directly affect environmental security and the sustainable development of countries.

With unique natural ecosystems stretching from the Karakum Desert to the mountainous areas of the Kopetdag and Koytendag ranges and the Caspian Sea coast, Turkmenistan regards the preservation of natural resources as an important area of state policy,” the Head of State said, stressing that the country relies on several priority areas in this work.

The President of Turkmenistan noted that the country attaches great importance to improving its national system of specially protected natural areas, developing environmental monitoring, and protecting rare species of animals and plants. He emphasized that the National Strategy and Action Plan of Turkmenistan for Biodiversity Conservation for 2026–2035, developed jointly with international partners and taking into account the objectives of the global framework program, is an important instrument in this area.

The Head of State named the expansion of regional cooperation among the priorities in order to protect transboundary ecosystems, animal migration routes and natural resources. He also noted that the country pays particular attention to the environmental well-being of the Caspian Sea, the preservation of the Aral Sea basin ecosystem and efforts to combat desertification.

As emphasized, the effective solution of these tasks requires coordinated action by states, scientifically grounded decisions and long-term cooperation mechanisms.

The President of Turkmenistan drew attention to the need to make full use of the potential of the United Nations, its specialized agencies and international nature-protection mechanisms, noting that the country attaches particular importance to cooperation with UNESCO in preserving natural heritage and developing scientific research.

“The inclusion of Turkmenistan’s natural areas in the transnational World Heritage property ‘Cold Winter Deserts of Turan’ is a clear example of how international cooperation contributes to ecosystem conservation. We consider it important to further develop cooperation with relevant UN agencies, including in the scientific study of natural processes, the preservation of water and marine ecosystems, and the improvement of environmental monitoring methods,” the Head of State said, expressing firm confidence in the need to fully utilize the scientific, expert and institutional capacities of the UN system in order to achieve global biodiversity conservation goals.

The President of Turkmenistan stressed that ensuring all necessary conditions for fulfilling international environmental commitments is a priority. He emphasized the importance of providing developing countries with access to financial resources and modern technologies, strengthening national capacities, and ensuring the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources, including digital sequence information.

“Within the framework of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Turkmenistan will continue to put forward initiatives aimed at strengthening international cooperation in environmental security and climate resilience. In particular, we advocate the establishment of the Ashgabat Climate Dialogue as an open multilateral platform for sustained political and expert interaction, advancing concrete initiatives and strengthening international cooperation.

We attach particular importance to combating desertification and increasing the resilience of arid regions to the impacts of climate change. In this regard, Turkmenistan proposes the establishment of a regional center for combating desertification for the countries of Central Asia. We regard these areas as an important part of comprehensive international efforts to preserve ecosystems, use natural resources efficiently and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,” the Head of State continued, stressing Turkmenistan’s firm belief that global environmental goals cannot be achieved without taking into account the interests and specific needs of developing countries, including landlocked states.

In this context, the President of Turkmenistan highlighted the special importance of the decisions enshrined in the Awaza Programme of Action for 2024–2034 and the Awaza Political Declaration adopted at the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries.

The Head of State noted the need to intensify international support in order to expand access to climate and environmental finance, share modern and digital technologies for nature conservation, and develop infrastructure resilient to the impacts of climate change. He stressed that the principles of fairness, solidarity and equal partnership should form the basis of international efforts to conserve biodiversity.

“In this area, multilateral cooperation mechanisms, including South-South cooperation, should play an important role by enabling countries to combine their knowledge, capabilities and accumulated experience for the benefit of achieving common environmental goals,” the President of Turkmenistan said, expressing confidence that the forthcoming 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity should give additional impetus to fulfilling commitments and strengthening international cooperation.

Concluding his speech, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov reaffirmed Turkmenistan’s readiness for productive cooperation with all interested states and international organizations, noting that combining political will, scientific knowledge and practical capabilities will make it possible to preserve the Earth’s natural heritage for the benefit of present and future generations.

The Yerevan Declaration was adopted following the Summit.

After completing the program of his working visit to the Republic of Armenia, the President of Turkmenistan arrived at Yerevan International Airport and departed for his homeland.

Thus, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov’s participation in the high-level events held in Baku and Yerevan became another clear example of Turkmenistan’s high standing as a responsible participant in global cooperation.

The proposals and initiatives put forward by the Head of State at the summits confirmed the country’s readiness for broad international cooperation in the interests of environmental well-being and sustainable development in the region and throughout the world.

Source: State News Agency of Turkmenistan