No:206/26, Press release on the participation of Deputy Minister Yalchin Rafiyev in the event “Türkiye’s Road to COP31: Sustainable Cities”
09 May 2026 22:48
The delegation headed by Yalchin Rafiyev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and COP29 Lead Negotiator, participated in the event entitled “Türkiye’s Road to COP31: Sustainable Cities,” held in the city of Hatay, Türkiye. Within the framework of the event, panel discussions, a high-level session and a ministerial roundtable meeting were held.
The event, organized in the context of hosting COP31, was attended by ministers, deputy ministers and heads of international organizations representing various countries, and issues of urban development resilient to climate change and natural disasters under the theme of “sustainable cities” were discussed.
Speaking at the high-level session, Deputy Minister Yalchin Rafiyev emphasized the special moral significance of holding the event in the city of Hatay, which was hit by a devastating earthquake 3 years ago but was restored within a short period as a result of the efforts of the Government of Türkiye, and stated that this exemplary experience demonstrates the practical application of a modern urban development model resilient to climate change and natural disasters.
It was also noted that green, safe and sustainable cities are being built in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and that 2026 has been declared the “Year of Urban Development and Architecture” in Azerbaijan.
Y. Rafiyev stated that the 13th session of the United Nations World Urban Forum (WUF13), to be held in the city of Baku on 17-22 May, will make an important contribution to the global urban development agenda, and, emphasizing the importance of a coordinated approach between the COP31 and WUF processes, noted that Azerbaijan is ready to work closely with Türkiye’s COP31 Presidency in this direction.
Speaking at the ministerial roundtable chaired by Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment and Urbanization of Türkiye, Y. Rafiyev expressed support for the Hatay Declaration adopted at the end of the event and stated that the ideas expressed in that Declaration are aimed at making an important contribution to international climate policies and the sustainable urban development agenda within the framework of both WUF13 and COP31.
