EU Urges Turkmenistan To Strengthen Regional Co-Op On Central Asia's Environmental Challenges (Exclusive)

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 6. The European Commission urges Turkmenistan for regional cooperation to tackle environmental challenges in Central Asia, a Commission official told Trend.

According to the European Commission's representative, the Commission considers regional cooperation as the most effective way to address environmental challenges in Central Asia. In this regard, it is encouraging Turkmenistan to actively engage with multilateral environmental frameworks.

"Turkmenistan is an important partner for the EU in global Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention to Combat Desertification, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)," the official said.

According to the representative, the Commission also calls for Turkmenistan to participate actively in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Environmental conventions, including the Aarhus Convention and the Water Convention, and to consider joining the Espoo Convention, the Air Convention, and the Industrial Accidents Convention.

"Policy dialogue and capacity building continue through the bilateral project 'EU for a Green Turkmenistan: Policy Dialogue and Climate Action 2024–2029', as well as through the regional Team Europe Initiative on Water, Energy and Climate," - the representative said.

"Climate change is exacerbating vulnerabilities, including those affecting the Caspian Sea," the official said, urging global action and pointing to the Paris Agreement as a key tool.

"The EU remains firmly committed to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, and we expect our partners, including Turkmenistan as a signatory to the Paris Agreement, to share this commitment by implementing ambitious policies that both reduce emissions and strengthen resilience and adaptation to climate change," the representative concluded.

Earlier in February, Turkmen Ambassador to Belgium Sapar Palvanov held talks with Deputy Director-General of the European Commission Directorate-General for Climate Action Jan Dusik, where the sides discussed expanding cooperation on climate and energy issues, including within the framework of the EU's "Green Turkmenistan" programme and broader efforts on methane reduction and environmental modernization.

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