Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan continue to engage in active cooperation under the Tehran Convention on the Conservation of Biodiversity in the Caspian Sea, according to Mukhtar Babayev, President of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Babayev noted that both scientific and practical dimensions of environmental concerns are being addressed through the convention, with particular attention to the alarming decline in Caspian Sea water levels.

“These risks are very complex,” he stated. “They affect agriculture, infrastructure such as ports and logistics, and even air quality.”

To address this growing concern, Azerbaijan has proposed convening a summit focused on the Caspian Sea’s ongoing shrinkage. Babayev announced that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established a working group to prepare the summit’s agenda and determine its timing. All five Caspian littoral states have been invited to participate in the consultations.

“We are currently holding discussions with representatives from Kazakhstan and international organizations to develop a coordinated strategy for mitigating the impacts of this critical issue,” Babayev added.

He also emphasized the close cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in addressing shared environmental challenges.