BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 23. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has met with Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Tatiana Molcean, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend.
Molcean is on a visit to Azerbaijan within the framework of the UN Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) Week.
The meeting discussed the agenda and prospects of cooperation between Azerbaijan and UNECE, as well as Azerbaijan's ties with Central Asia, including SPECA, and the possible role of the Economic Commission for Europe in this context.
Bayramov emphasized the importance of increasing joint efforts on environmental issues, energy, urban planning, and other areas within the scope of the UNECE.
He noted that since the establishment of SPECA, Azerbaijan has actively contributed to the activities within this platform.
The presence of trilateral cooperation formats in this direction, especially with Central Asian countries, gives additional impetus to the implementation of successful joint projects, the minister said.
The presence of a substantive agenda of cooperation with SPECA countries in various fields - economic, commercial, transportation, communication, energy security, alternative energy sources, environment, innovation, sustainable development goals, and others, was hailed.
In particular, the importance of existing initiatives and projects in the development of regional transportation and communication lines, including the expansion of the possibilities of the Middle Corridor, was emphasized.
Regarding the strengthening of cooperation within this platform during Azerbaijan's chairmanship in SPECA in 2023, as well as Azerbaijan's efforts to expand bilateral, regional, and international ties with SPECA countries, Bayramov highlighted that the SPECA Summit, which will take place during SPECA Week in Baku, is one of the important outcomes of these efforts.
Molcean noted that Azerbaijan's efforts during its chairmanship in SPECA to transform it into a platform that meets the challenges of the modern era deserve praise.
In this regard, she expressed hope that the upcoming SPECA Summit, to be held on November 24 in Baku amid regional and international challenges, will play an important role in strengthening cooperation within the program.
The meeting also featured an exchange of opinions on other mutually interesting issues.
Azerbaijan became a member of the UNECE on July 30, 1993.
On November 29, 2018, the Government of Azerbaijan and the UNECE signed a joint declaration on cooperation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The joint declaration envisages promotion of close cooperation in the areas of trade capacity building and trade facilitation; renewable energy and energy efficiency; investments, technology, and innovation; green economy; application of green technologies; environmental monitoring system; protection of water resources; addressing air pollution and environmental degradation; forests; and agricultural quality standards.
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