On December 2, late in the evening, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov’s working visit to the United Arab Emirates, where the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28) was taking place, ended.
Speaking at the UN World Climate Summit, which became the most important high-level event within the framework of this annual conference, the Head of Turkmenistan emphasised Turkmenistan considered its participation in it as a landmark event in promoting its international strategy on climate change.
As it was noted, the starting point on the path to our country’s full involvement in the global climate agenda was the National Climate Change Strategy adopted in 2012 and subsequently approved in a new edition in connection with our country’s accession to the Paris Climate Agreement.
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov stressed Turkmenistan, as a responsible state, was aware of the need to continue focused work at the international and national levels to ensure further progress in combatting climate change and its consequences.
From the rostrum of the High-Level Forum, the Head of Turkmenistan announced the accession of our country, making a significant contribution to international efforts to reduce methane emissions, to the Global Methane Pledge and the continuation of active cooperation with international organisations and partner states to solve climate problems.
In connection with accession to the Paris Agreement, a number of relevant national programmes are known to have been adopted in our country, in accordance with which activities, aimed at reducing and eradicating the negative consequences of methane emissions into the atmosphere, are being carried out. First of all, what is at issue is a phased transition to the introduction and use of modern environmentally friendly and resource-saving technologies, especially in the spheres of energy, industry and transport.
Speaking at the Global Forum, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov also particularly highlighted the importance of the signing on November 13 of the current year of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Environment Protection of Turkmenistan and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for the development of regional programmes aimed at the transfer of climate technologies to Turkmenistan and the states of Central Asia.
It was emphasised that the Turkmen party considered that document as the first step and a serious legal prerequisite for the substantive consideration of the issue of opening in our country a UN Regional Centre for Technologies Related to Climate Change in Central Asia.
At the high-level multilateral meeting, Turkmenistan, which consistently expresses its commitment to continuing and strengthening international cooperation for the sake of a happy and prosperous future of the planet, welcomed and supported the documents developed, in particular the Declaration on Climate and Health, the Emirates Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action and a number of initiatives, including the creation of the COP 28 Coalition for multi-level partnerships with high ambitions to combat climate change.
As it is known, having ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, Turkmenistan has consistently fulfilled all its obligations over all these years.
Thus, the National Strategy on Climate Change, approved in the new edition, provides for the implementation of systemic measures intended to reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere in all sectors, and primarily in the oil and gas, transport and electric power sectors, agroindustrial complex, construction industry and others.
Much attention is paid to the full expansion of international cooperation in this area, because solving environmental problems dictates the need to combine efforts at the global, regional and national levels and the necessity of multilateral dialogue and the coordination of actions of each state with the UN.
Thus, the UN World Climate Summit vividly demonstrated the international community’s awareness of the need to jointly solve the problem of climate change, which over the past decades has become one of the most serious challenges for all humankind, to coordinate and take active political and economic measures to overcome the climate crisis.
The state and prospects for further building up the established constructive interstate dialogue, successfully developed on both a bilateral and a multilateral basis, were discussed during the meeting held between the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the Vice-President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Court of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Upon warmly greeting each other, the interlocutors expressed satisfaction with the opportunity to consider current issues of the multifaceted Turkmen-Emirati cooperation, initially built on a mutually respectful and trusting basis.
On behalf of himself and on behalf of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Hero-Arkadag, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov congratulated the high-ranking representative on the great holiday celebrated that day – the National Day of the United Arab Emirates, addressing the President of the UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and all the people of the friendly state wishes of happiness, prosperity and wellbeing.
Thanking for the kind words, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on behalf of the top leadership of his country, addressed his best wishes to the National Leader of the Turkmen people Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who had made a huge personal contribution to strengthening the Turkmen-Emirati relations, and also thanked the President of Turkmenistan for his active participation in the Global Forum and initiatives put forward by the Turkmen party.
Expressing sincere gratitude for the hospitality extended to our delegation, the President of Turkmenistan highly appreciated the organisational level of the COP 28 Conference taking place in Dubai, which, of course, became one of the significant international events of the year.
Noting that the UAE sincerely rejoiced at the achievements of modern Turkmenistan on the path of progressive transformations, begun by the Hero-Arkadag and now successfully continued under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed the interest of the Emirati party in bringing the bilateral relations to a qualitatively new level.
In conclusion, the Head of Turkmenistan and the Vice-President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Court of the United Arab Emirates wished strong health and prosperity to each other and peace, goodness and prosperity to the fraternal peoples of the two friendly countries.
As part of the visit to the UAE, the President of Turkmenistan, on behalf of the Vice-President, Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the United Arab Emirates, Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was presented with a special gift – ayats from the Holy Quran written in gold.
Arkadagly Haji Serdar Berdimuhamedov gratefully accepted the gift and said he considered it as a symbol of the high level of the dynamically developing and enriching friendly Turkmen-Emirati relations with new content.
During the two days of the Global Forum, the heads of many states and governments voiced the positions of their countries regarding environmental problems, food security, protection from natural disasters, “green” energy and financial support for least developed countries to overcome the consequences of climate change.
It was not accidental that for a more detailed discussion of topical issues of further interaction on various aspects of climate issues on the COP 28 platform, in parallel with the plenary sessions, a number of related events were held, in which leaders and representatives of relevant structures of Turkmenistan also took part.
Thus, on December 2, members of the Turkmen delegation took part in multilateral meetings devoted to issues of nature protection as the most important and integral condition of life and wellbeing, the role of youth in combatting climate change, the acceleration of the implementation of actions to protect drinking water and climate and the acceleration of the transition to a fair, equal and coordinated energy flow, in particular, to new types of energy sources used in the modern period.
Much attention was paid to the meeting on the topic “Health at the centre of the climate change agenda”, which resulted in the adoption of the COP 28 Declaration on Climate and Health. The Turkmen party, which has consistently declared its readiness to continue a multilateral dialogue within the framework of global climate initiatives, supported this Declaration, reaffirming its commitment to common determination and unity on health issues in the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
It is noteworthy that the holding of important events of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28) coincided with the widespread celebration of the UAE National Day – the main holiday of the friendly state, celebrated annually on December 2.
Currently, the development of multidimensional relations with the United Arab Emirates, recognised as one of the economically powerful and rapidly developing states in the Near East, is among the priority areas of the foreign-policy strategy of independent and neutral Turkmenistan.
This is vividly evidenced by the extensive positive experience of interaction, accumulated in recent years on both a bilateral and a multilateral basis, primarily on the platform of the largest and most authoritative international organisations, and the exceptional fruitfulness of the meetings and negotiations held during the visits to Abu Dhabi of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Hero-Arkadag.
Thus, Turkmenistan–UAE high-level negotiations that took place on November 21-22 last year, which resulted in the signing of a substantial package of documents, became a new round in the development of the traditionally friendly and fraternal dialogue between the two states and their peoples and the deepening of mutually beneficial cooperation in a number of key areas of mutual interest.
An important chapter in the history of the interstate relations was also written by the official visit of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to the UAE on February 11–12 of the current year. The meetings and negotiations that took place within its framework contributed to the accelerated practical implementation of previously reached agreements, giving a powerful impetus to the development of constructive partnerships and bringing them to a higher level, meeting the requirements of today.
The open-doors policy, pursued by Turkmenistan, and the favourable investment climate, created in the country, are increasingly attracting representatives of foreign business, including those from the countries of the Middle East. Thus, representatives of the UAE express increased interest in the large-scale projects being implemented in our country, designed to ensure the innovative development of the basic sectors of the national economy and to improve the wellbeing of the Turkmen people.
At the same time, today Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates are not only actively developing their bilateral political and diplomatic, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian ties, but are also fruitfully interacting on the international arena, supporting each other’s initiatives, another confirmation of which was the current 28th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28).
In the evening, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov took part in grand celebrations to mark the National Day of the United Arab Emirates.
On the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the founding of the UAE, colourful performances by representatives of culture and art were organised.
At the end of his two-day working visit to the United Arab Emirates, the President of Turkmenistan left for his Motherland.
At the International Airport of the Turkmen capital, where the head of state was met by officials, a representative of the UAE Embassy congratulated President Serdar Berdimuhamedov on his successful participation in the UN World Climate Summit (COP 28), his deeply meaningful speech and the exceptional fruitfulness of the meetings held on its side-lines.
Thanking for the good wishes, the head of state noted the relevance of the initiatives put forward at the Summit in solving environmental problems urgent to our time. In this context, the meetings held in the United Arab Emirates became an important step towards the further development of the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries.