Let me begin my speech by conveying the greetings of our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and thanking the government of Armenia and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity for organizing this important summit. Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Ibrahim Yumakli on Friday stated this during the Leaders' Summit on Biodiversity, within the framework of the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.
"Four years have passed since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This document has become the shared ‘roadmap’ to halt biodiversity loss and protect nature. Our main task now is to translate this shared vision into concrete actions and long-term results. For this, it is crucial to ensure access to financing and technology, expand capacity-building opportunities, as well as strengthen scientific and technical cooperation.
We [i.e. Turkey] view environmental protection and sustainable development not as mutually exclusive concepts, but as complementary goals. That is why we perceive biodiversity protection not only as an integral part of our environmental policy, but also as a key element of our development policy.
This year has become an important milestone: conferences of the parties are being held within the framework of key environmental conventions. After Ulaanbaatar and Yerevan, we will meet again next month; this time in Antalya, within the framework of COP31.
Turkey strives for COP31 to become a practical implementation conference, where climate commitments will be translated into concrete actions. We want to strengthen cooperation in areas such as combating climate change, preserving biodiversity, as well as ensuring land and food security.
Our message today is very clear: the time has come to move from commitments to real results. Turkey is determined to strengthen international cooperation, share its experience, and contribute to the search for common solutions. We attach great importance also to bilateral cooperation platforms.
In particular, we are pleased with the development of dialogue with Armenia in many areas, including agriculture, animal husbandry, and environmental protection. Realizing its historical and geographical responsibility, Turkey will continue to make efforts to strengthen prosperity and stability in the region.
We look forward to meeting you next month in Antalya. Let us take firm and concrete steps together, on the road from Yerevan to Antalya, to protect nature and build a sustainable future,” the Turkish minister added.