Responding to reporters’ questions on Thursday, Esmaeil Baqaei said the president’s brief visit to Yerevan on Friday will be made in order to attend the 17th meeting of the heads of state of the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
On the sidelines of the summit, discussions and exchanges of views are also planned with some of the participating leaders, he noted.
Elaborating on the significance of this international treaty for the global protection of nature and the environment, Baqaei said the CBD was established in 1992 and currently has 196 members.
He said Iran was among the original signatories of this treaty and became a formal member in 1996.
Over the past three decades, Iran has played a significant role in developing mechanisms and regulations related to the conservation of biodiversity and the environment, he stated.
Referring to the damage and harm inflicted upon the environment of Iran and the region, including in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, during the military aggression launched by the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran, Baqaei stressed that the Islamic Republic will utilize every opportunity to document and highlight the crimes committed against the environment.
In response to another question regarding the meeting of Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), the spokesperson said that as a key and influential nation in West Asia, the Islamic Republic of Iran is participating in the 7th high-level CICA summit, which is being held today, October 15, in Baku, the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Highlighting the importance of Iran’s robust presence at international events, both to articulate the nation’s positions and to ensure influence in the drafting of documents and resolutions, Baqaei said an effective and authoritative presence at international diplomatic events is a core component of the diplomatic apparatus's policy and Iran’s consistent participation in CICA meetings is rooted in this approach.
The spokesman further announced that the Iranian foreign minister will travel to Baghdad on Saturday to participate in the annual meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), scheduled for October 17–18.