The countries of the Turkic world are joining forces in the fight against climate problems

The event was attended by Secretary General of OTS Kubanychbek Omuraliev, President of COP29, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Azerbaijan Republic Mukhtar Babayev, Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan Aziz Abdukhakimov, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerlan Nyssanbayev, Minister of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic Meder Mashiev, and Minister of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change of Turkey Murat Kurum.

In his speech, A. Abdukhakimov noted the importance of the first meeting of ministers responsible for the environment of the OTS as the beginning of a new stage in regional cooperation in the field of climate change.

"At the informal OTS summit in Shusha in July 2024, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized that today the voice of the Turkic world is becoming louder in the field of international cooperation on climate change. The Head of State proposed to create a Turkic Ecological Council with headquarters in Nukus, in the largest city of the region most affected by the environmental disaster - in the Aral Sea region. Recently, at a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the OTS in Bishkek on November 6, the President noted the need to establish the Turkic Environmental Council at the ministerial level as soon as possible to find solutions to pressing environmental problems related to climate change and also confirmed his readiness to hold its first meeting next year in Uzbekistan", said the minister.

The main purpose of the meeting was to facilitate the exchange of high-level messages between the member States of the OTS, to expand the partnership between the member States of the OTS in the fields of environmental protection, ecology and climate change, as well as to strengthen and unite the voice of the Turkic states at COP29 and in the negotiations on the UNFCCC.

Speaking at the meeting, K. Omuraliyev noted the developing multilateral cooperation between the Turkic states in solving environmental problems.

"On November 6, at the 11th OTS summit in Bishkek, the heads of Turkic states adopted the "Turkic Green Vision of OTS", which embodies a unified approach of the Turkic states to environmental issues and the consequences of climate change. This vision serves as the main guide of the OTS to promote the "green" agenda in the Turkic world. Undoubtedly, the adoption of this strategic document at the Bishkek OTS Summit on the eve of COP-29 demonstrates the solidarity and unity of the Turkic states in solving environmental and climate change problems", said the Secretary General of the OTS.

During the meeting, the ministers discussed further opportunities and proposals to strengthen environmental cooperation within the organization and reported on the commitments of the member States of the OTS to promote climate action and sustainability. At the end of the meeting, the signing ceremony of the Declaration of the first meeting of Ministers responsible for the Environment and Ecology of the OTS took place. 

It is worth noting that relations between the Turkic states within the framework of the OTS are steadily strengthening, along with the growing recognition of the negative effects of climate change and the urgent need for regional cooperation to achieve sustainable development.