WNAM Monitoring: The working visit of the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov to the United Arab Emirates continues in order to participate in the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP-28.
As part of the trip, the head of state held a number of meetings on the sidelines of the COP-28 Conference and spoke at the Global Climate Summit.
As already reported, upon his arrival at Dubai EXPO City, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov was warmly welcomed by the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres.
After the official joint photograph of the participants of the COP-28 Conference, the opening ceremony of the World Climate Summit took place.
In his welcoming speech, the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, thanked the distinguished guests for participating in the Summit, the agenda of which included issues of particular importance for all humanity. Expressing confidence that COP-28 will serve to unite efforts in countering one of the main challenges of our time, the UAE President also announced the creation of a new fund designed to implement global climate solutions.
Then the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, addressed the Summit participants, who called on the world community to accelerate collective action to combat climate change. At the same time, the importance of the COP-28 Conference was emphasized in the context of intensifying international cooperation to overcome the climate crisis affecting all states and peoples of the planet.
At the forum, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov outlined the positions of Turkmenistan.
At the beginning of his speech, addressing the participants of the Summit, the head of the Turkmen state expressed gratitude to the leadership and Government of the United Arab Emirates for the warm hospitality and the conditions created for productive work.
As the head of state noted, Turkmenistan considers participation in the current Conference as a milestone event in promoting its international strategy on climate change. The determining factor in it is to ensure continuity and consistency in the implementation of the initiatives put forward by our country, starting with the UN Conference on Sustainable Development RIO+20, subsequent major forums, and today’s efforts of Turkmenistan.
The National Climate Change Strategy adopted in 2012 is the starting point towards the country’s full involvement in the global climate agenda.
The next logical step was Turkmenistan’s accession to the Paris Climate Agreement. In 2019, in this regard, a new version of the National Climate Change Strategy was approved. The document is inclusive and includes an expanded list of measures to adapt almost all key sectors of the economy and social sphere to new requirements. Particular attention is paid to the fuel and energy complex, where a lot of work is being done to reduce emissions by increasing the volume of utilization of associated petroleum gas and reducing losses of natural gas during its transportation, said President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
As a responsible state, Turkmenistan recognizes the need to continue focused work at the international and national level to ensure further progress in the fight against climate change and its consequences. One of the most important aspects here is our country’s contribution to international efforts to reduce methane emissions.
As is known, at the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow, Turkmenistan announced support for the new initiative on the Global Methane Commitment and expressed interest in a detailed study of the document and participation in its implementation.
Taking into account the recommendations of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and with the active support of the UN Development Program, the country prepared and in May 2022 approved Turkmenistan’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Climate Agreement. This strategic document provides for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent in 2030 relative to 2010 levels.
“Today, from this high rostrum, Turkmenistan officially declares its accession to the Global Methane Commitment,” the head of state emphasized. At the same time, the country will continue its ongoing cooperation with international organizations and partner countries within the framework of existing projects and programs aimed at meeting the conditions arising from the Global Methane Commitment.
In the context of broad international cooperation to solve climate problems in Central Asia, promoted by Turkmenistan for many years, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted the importance of the signing on November 13 of this year of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) for the development regional programs aimed at transferring climate technologies to Turkmenistan and Central Asian states.
The Turkmen side considers this document as the first step and a serious legal prerequisite for a substantive study of the issue of opening a UN Regional Center for Technologies related to Climate Change in Central Asia in our country. Thus, Turkmenistan’s initiative to create a specialized UN center for a region with a population of almost 80 million, possessing unique natural resources and biodiversity, and at the same time located in a zone of serious environmental risks, is now gaining real prospects.
As the head of state emphasized, being fully committed to continuing multilateral cooperation within the framework of global climate initiatives, Turkmenistan welcomes the proposed Declaration on Climate and Health and considers it important to support it to confirm our common resolve and unity on health issues in the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
“Given the exceptional significance of the impact of climate change in the context of ensuring global food security, Turkmenistan fully supports the Emirates Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainable Food Systems and the Fight against Climate Change,” said President Serdar Berdimuhamedov. – Recognizing the importance of coordination between national and subnational governments in the fight against climate change, Turkmenistan is ready to support the Initiative to create a COP-28 Coalition for multi-level partnerships with high ambitions to combat climate change.
Having confirmed the readiness to further strengthen cooperation at the regional and global level in the fields of agriculture, ecology, energy, finance, healthcare with all interested parties to achieve the goals of the Emirates Declaration, taking into account the national interests of Turkmenistan, the head of state, at the end of his speech, thanked the Conference participants for their attention and wished him fruitful work.
During the constructive exchange of views on the agenda, covering a wide range of areas of international partnership, which took place at the plenary sessions, the Summit participants spoke in favor of consolidating efforts in developing coordinated approaches to solving primary problems in the name of a safe, prosperous and healthy future of the planet.
