H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mukhtar BABAYEV, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and President-Designate of 29^th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), on the sidelines of the Azerbaijan Halal Business Forum on 8-9 October 2024 in Baku.

The meeting focused on exploring avenues to enhance cooperation in areas related to climate change, as well as the management and use of natural resources. H.E. SELÇUK highlighted SESRIC initiatives in various socioeconomic domains, including research and capacity building activities in environment, water, agriculture and natural resource management, among others. Moreover, She also underscored SESRIC’s commitment to support OIC member countries in developing their human and institutional capacities in these sectors through productive collaborations with competent national institutions, to facilitate the sharing of expertise and competencies among OIC member countries.

In the same vien, H.E. BABAYEV provided an overview on the Esteemed Ministry’s efforts and current endeavours in preparation for COP29, stressing the importance of strengthening intra-OIC collaborations to address the existing and growing challenges of climate change.

The meeting concluded with both parties reaffirming their commitment to strengthening their partnership and exploring new opportunities for joint initiatives in the fields of Ecology and Natural Resources.