Jeyhun Bayramov, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, participated in and delivered a speech at the high-level event themed "Glaciers 2025: Taking Global Action to Protect Glaciers" organized within the framework of the World Leaders Climate Action Summit at the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Report informs, citing Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry.
The high-level event was also attended by Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, and other high-ranking officials.
In his speech, Minister Bayramov expressed gratitude to Tajikistan for organizing this significant event dedicated to glaciers, which are a crucial component of the earth's ecosystem yet often overlooked. He highlighted that the melting of glaciers in many regions of the world is causing dangerous disasters such as floods and landslides.
The minister emphasized that glaciers, rapidly disappearing due to climate change, have decreased by more than 18% in just 7 years in Azerbaijan, particularly in the Greater Caucasus Mountains and the Gusarchay basin. This has led to an uneven distribution of river resources and a decrease in overall freshwater reserves.
Despite the severe threat posed by glacial melting, coordinated steps taken in this direction remain limited. Minister Bayramov expressed hope that the upcoming "International Year of Glacier Protection," to be declared next year, will be productive in addressing this issue.
In conclusion, the foreign minister called upon all international partners to strengthen cooperation in the relevant field to ensure the balance of our ecosystem for future generations.