The second meeting of the TURKPA Commission on Environment and Natural Resources took place on 24 November 2016 hosted by the Milli Mejlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Participants of the meeting discussed “Global Climate Change: causes and consequences for the TURKPA member countries” as the main item of the meeting’s agenda. Parliamentarians from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey, as well as representatives of Turkic cooperation institutions and partner organizations took part in the meeting.

The meeting was chaired by Mr. Ahliman Amiraslanov, Chairman of the Commission and member of the Azerbaijani delegation to TURKPA. In his speech, Mr. Amiraslanov emphasized importance of the issue since climate change is having impact on all countries on the world. He noted that cooperation within the TURKPA framework on climate change is a priority issue on the Commission’s agenda and stressed the necessity of societies’ responsiveness to environmental problems.

Mr.Feyzullah Kıyıklık, Deputy Chair of the TURKPA Commission on Environment and Natural Resources and member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey emphasized that as climate change affects the entire world, member countries have to consolidate their efforts in resolution of such ecological problems. Mr. Kiyiklik proposed to elaborate concluding reports by the experts in the field environment and present them to the higher education institutions of the TURKPA member countries.

Member of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic Mr. Muzaffar Isakov noted the importance to strengthen cooperation among the Turkic states in a globalized world.

Parliamentarians informed about measures taken at the national level in combating climate change in the member countries and exchanged views on prospects of joint activities in this field.

Members of the Commission were also informed of the national policies of Azerbaijan in the field of environmental protection by Mr. Firdovsy Aliyev, Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan. He noted that the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources was established in 2001 on the initiative of national leader Heydar Aliyev in order to implement an integrated environmental policy in certain areas. The Deputy Minister informed that about 45 legislative acts on environmental protection were adopted at national level. He said that if in early years of independence only 4.5% of Azerbaijan’s territory was under protection, today this figure reaches 10.5% and 12% of territory consists of forest lands. As he stressed, Azerbaijan is one of countries, which seriously deals with prevention of deforestation.

The Commission approved report and recommendation on the matter to be submitted to the TURKPA 7th Plenary Session.

The next third meeting of the Commission is scheduled to take place in 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan. On the proposal of Ms. Aliya Saparova, member of the Majilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan the next gathering will be held within the framework of the international exhibition Astana EXPO-2017, which is dedicated to the development of the renewable energy sources and development of “green” technologies.