Afghanistan is seeking Azerbaijan’s support to help secure its official participation in the upcoming United Nations COP31 global climate change conference, scheduled to be held in Türkiye, as Kabul looks to strengthen its engagement on climate diplomacy and technical cooperation.
The Director General of Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency, Matiulhaq Khalis, met with Ilham Mammadov, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Afghanistan this week, where the two sides discussed climate change, participation in international conferences and the expansion of bilateral environmental cooperation, according to a statement issued by the agency.
Khalis urged Azerbaijan to coordinate with the Turkish government, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat and other relevant international bodies to pave the way for Afghanistan’s official participation in COP31.
He stressed that Afghanistan’s presence at the conference is “a practical necessity” for addressing regional climate challenges, the statement said.
During the meeting, Khalis also thanked the Azerbaijani government for its diplomatic efforts during COP29, hosted by Azerbaijan in Baku in November 2024, noting that while Afghanistan was not formally invited, Baku’s support and cooperation were “commendable” and appreciated by the Afghan government.
