Antalya:Iran and Turkiye have agreed to expand their bilateral environmental cooperation, focusing on speeding up the implementation of existing agreements and sharing experiences in building resilient cities and managing waste.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the agreement was reached during a meeting between Iran's Vice President and Head of the Department of Environment, Sheena Ansari, and Turkish Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Murat Kurum. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, which is being held from November 9 to 20.

During the meeting, Ansari highlighted the environmental consequences of recent military actions against Iran, citing attacks on fuel storage facilities around Tehran as examples of ecocide. She called for the appointment of special representatives by Iran and Turkiye to advance the joint environmental cooperation committee's work, with a focus on resilient cities and the implementation of the Zero Waste program.

Kurum emphasized Iran as a partner in advancing the goals of the ongoing COP31 summit and urged developing countries to adopt common positions, critiquing developed nations for failing to meet their climate commitments. He also expressed Turkiye's readiness to expand cooperation with Iran in areas such as resilient urban development, waste management, and reducing carbon footprints.

In addition to her meeting with Kurum, Sheena Ansari also met with Iraq's Environment Minister, Sarwa Abdulwahid Qadir, where both parties stressed the importance of joint environmental cooperation between Iran and Iraq.