The Kabul Tribune (KT) — National Environmental Protection Agency said its director-general, Matiul Haq Khalis, has asked Türkiye’s chargé d’affaires in Kabul to help facilitate Afghanistan’s participation in the upcoming COP31 climate conference.
According to the agency, Khalis made the request during a
meeting Monday in Kabul with Türkiye’s chargé d’affaires, Cihad Erginay. The
two sides discussed Afghanistan’s current situation, environmental challenges
and climate change, as well as potential participation in the next United
Nations climate conference.
The agency said the Turkish diplomat assured that his
country would make efforts to support Afghanistan’s participation in the
conference.
Khalis was quoted as saying that environmental issues should
not be politicized and that Afghanistan should be invited to take part in such
international forums to present its challenges to the global community.
The agency added that it had previously made a similar
request to Azerbaijan to help enable Afghanistan’s participation in the
upcoming climate summit.
Afghanistan is considered highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change,
including droughts, floods and water scarcity. However, its participation in
major international forums has been limited in recent years due to political
and diplomatic constraints. COP conferences, organized under the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change, bring together countries to negotiate
global climate action.
