Baku to host landmark meeting of Turkic states' environmental ministers

Baku will host the inaugural meeting of Environment Ministers from the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) member countries.

Scheduled for November 20, the meeting coincides with the global climate conference COP29, Caliber.Az reports, citing the organization’s press service.

This gathering is set to serve as a vital platform for enhancing environmental cooperation among Turkic states, advancing the OTS's objectives related to environmental protection and the development of a green economy.

COP29, expected to draw between 70,000 and 80,000 international visitors, will position Baku as a global hub for climate discussions. The decision to hold the conference in Azerbaijan was confirmed during the COP28 plenary session in Dubai on December 11, 2023.

COP, or the "Conference of the Parties," is the highest decision-making body under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which was established at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro to address human-induced climate change. The first COP meeting took place in Berlin in 1995, and the secretariat is based in Bonn.

The Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) is an international body that fosters cooperation among Turkic-speaking countries. Established in 2009, it promotes cultural, political, and economic collaboration among its members. The founding members include Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, with Uzbekistan joining in 2019. Hungary and Turkmenistan hold observer status.

The OTS aims to strengthen unity and regional integration among Turkic nations, focusing on areas such as trade, transportation, education, and security. It also emphasizes the preservation of Turkic heritage and language, while encouraging collective responses to global challenges.

By Tamilla Hasanova