Türkiye thanks Azerbaijan for backing COP31 bid

Turkish Minister of Environment, Urbanisation, and Climate Change Murat Kurum has expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan for its strong backing of Türkiye’s candidacy to host the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31).

Kurum shared his appreciation on X following a bilateral meeting with Azerbaijani Presidential Representative on Climate Issues and COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, a high-level gathering focused on global policy challenges, Caliber.Az reports, citing Kurum’s message on X.

Dost ve kardeş Azerbaycan'ın iklim konularından sorumlu temsilcisi Sayın Muhtar Babayev ile bir araya geldik.

Görüşmede Azerbaycan ile çevre, iklim ve şehircilik başta olmak üzere pek çok alanda geliştirdiğimiz sağlam iş birliklerimizi, önümüzdeki dönem hedeflerimizi konuştuk.… pic.twitter.com/D6SvgBI9yN

— Murat KURUM (@murat_kurum) April 12, 2025

He also highlighted that the discussions with Babayev focused on deepening cooperation between the two countries in critical areas such as environmental sustainability, climate resilience, and urban planning.

The Antalya Diplomacy Forum is a significant international event designed to foster dialogue among global leaders and diplomats. The forum is held annually in the Turkish resort city of Antalya. It is organised under the patronage of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish Foreign Ministry. 

This year’s forum gathered over 20 heads of state and government, more than 50 foreign ministers, over 70 ministers, and nearly 60 senior representatives from international organisations. In total, the event saw approximately 4,000 participants, including students. More than 50 sessions, covering a diverse array of topics, were held.

The sessions included regional issues in the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America, as well as pressing global challenges such as climate change, counterterrorism, humanitarian aid, digitisation, food security, and artificial intelligence.

By Naila Huseynova