Our Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and Türkiye’s Chief Climate Negotiator, Ms. Fatma Varank, participated as a speaker in the international panel titled “Bridging COP29 and COP30: Diplomacy, Action, and the Climate Road Ahead”, held in Istanbul.
During the opening of the event, speeches were delivered by Ms. Narmina Mustafayeva, Consul General of Azerbaijan in Istanbul; Dr. Babatunde A. Ahonsi, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Türkiye; Ambassador Lazar Comanescu, Secretary General of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC); and Ambassador Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam, Secretary General of the D-8 Organization.
In the subsequent panel session, alongside Ms. Fatma Varank, Mr. Yalchin Rafiyev, Chief Negotiator for COP29 and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, also addressed the audience.
The panel focused on the historic outcomes of COP29 and its global contributions to climate action.
Ms. Fatma Varank shared Türkiye’s climate diplomacy efforts, green transformation initiatives, and preparations for COP30 in line with the country’s 2053 net-zero target. Emphasizing Türkiye’s active role in regional cooperation and multilateral processes, Varank underlined that the progress to be made at COP29 would lay a strong foundation for COP30.
In the same session, Mr. Yalchin Rafiyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, highlighted the importance of strong international cooperation for a future where no one is left behind. Mr. Rafiyev also extended his best wishes for Türkiye’s candidacy to host COP31.
