The Head of the Center for International Affairs and Conventions of the Department of Environment, referring to the holding of the Seventh Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Tehran Convention (COP7) in Tehran, announced the presence of delegations from the Caspian littoral states at this meeting and said: After a three-year hiatus, the COP has been formed once again, and Tehran is hosting the other four Caspian littoral states.
According to the Public Relations of the Department of Environment, [he] expressed regarding the holding of the COP7 meeting and the presence of member countries: Nearly 20 years have passed since the Tehran Convention came into force, and this convention is considered one of the important environmental conventions.
He added: As many people know, our country is the birthplace of the first binding convention in the field of the environment, namely the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and Iran has played a role in the history of legal developments in the environmental arena. The Tehran Convention can also be considered the second environmental convention whose birthplace is our country.
The Head of the Center for International Affairs and Conventions of the Department of Environment continued: This convention is specific to the countries bordering the Caspian Sea, and all five littoral countries are members of it. These countries have been cooperating with each other for nearly 20 years within this legal framework on the very important subject of the environment and its various aspects, including pollution, water level decline, climate change, and the effects that these issues have on this important water body, that is, the world’s largest enclosed water body.
Cooperation of littoral states for the protection of the Caspian Sea
Khorsand, referring to the issue of the biodiversity of the Caspian Sea, said: Issues related to biodiversity, sturgeon fish which are in a unique status compared to this sea, and also the Caspian seal as the only native mammal of this sea, are among other issues that the littoral countries have cooperated on so far within the framework of this convention.
He noted: The Tehran Convention has four protocols, three of which have been accepted, and the fourth protocol is also about to enter into force.
The Head of the Center for International Affairs and Conventions of the Department of Environment, referring to the hiatus created in holding the meeting of the parties, said: Unfortunately, a period of intermission had occurred in holding the meeting of the parties or members. The conference was actually held for the last time in the form of COP6 in Azerbaijan, and it was supposed to be held three years ago, but due to various reasons that are outside the scope of the current discussion, it was not done.
Khorsand continued: This three-year hiatus was finally overcome in the new management period of the Department of Environment and with continuous diplomatic follow-ups by the honorable head of the organization, the Center for International Affairs, our colleagues in the Marine Deputy as the focal point of this convention and its specialized authority, and also with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He added: Fortunately, despite the uncontrollable aspects that existed in our region and had been created in the past months due to the aggressive presence of the United States and the regime in the region and their warmongering and conflict-mongering, after a three-year intermission, the COP was formed again.
Presence of delegations of littoral states in Tehran
The Head of the Center for International Affairs and Conventions of the Department of Environment, stating that Tehran is hosting the other four littoral states of the Caspian Sea, said: These five countries collectively constitute the littoral states of this water body.
Regarding the latest status of the presence of foreign delegations at the COP7 meeting, he stated: Today, on the first and unofficial day of the meeting, three delegations are fully present; the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the delegation of Russia, and the delegation of Kazakhstan.
Khorsand added: The other two delegations, namely Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, are also on their way to Tehran. The Turkmen delegation has entered Iran, and given that it has a close border with our country, it is moving towards Tehran by land and via train. The Azerbaijani delegation will also arrive in Tehran this afternoon.
He continued: The secretariat delegation is also present in Tehran. Therefore, on the first day of the unofficial start of the meeting and during the unofficial consultations, the delegations have started their meetings. The two absent delegations are also present at the meeting online and have started discussions and examinations to maximize the use of time.
The Head of the Center for International Affairs and Conventions of the Department of Environment said: We can consider the official start of the meetings to be from tomorrow when all delegations will be present in Tehran, and God willing, the discussions will continue in person.
He added: This process will finally lead to the holding of the high-level delegation meeting on Wednesday at the same place, that is, the venue of the meeting, with the presence of the honorable Head of the Department of Environment and the honorable Vice President.
Khorsand stated: God willing, after a few days of dynamic and continuous discussion and dialogue between the neighboring countries, the COP will conclude its work in the interest of the environment and the future of this important water body with the ministers’ declaration on Wednesday.
Challenges of holding the meeting in the region’s conditions
In response to a question about the concerns regarding the country’s conditions and the shadow of war, and how the holding of the meeting was pursued given these conditions, he stated: Naturally, today, the warmongering of the United States for the regime has become a part of the daily life of the region; an issue that has negatively affected all dimensions of the commercial, economic, and political activities of the people of the West Asia region.
The Head of the Center for International Affairs and Conventions of the Department of Environment added: This meeting actually reflects another point, and that is that local cooperation and on the scale of the countries of the region will certainly have a significant impact on reducing the role of destructive forces and extra-regional forces.
Khorsand continued: This issue was really a big challenge for us and for the whole organization and also the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Despite the destructive presence of these two lawless regimes, with the consultations we had with our neighboring countries and the welcome they gave to holding the meeting, and also the diplomatic follow-ups that were carried out, finally, despite all these problems and obstacles, we succeeded in forming the COP.
He considered this issue a sign of the importance of holding the meeting and said: This issue is another sign of the diplomatic dynamism of our country and the importance of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which in the heart of all these developments, despite all the problems, we succeeded in completing this important meeting and having the delegations present in Tehran.
Presence of the Tehran Convention Secretariat at the meeting
Khorsand continued: We also have the presence of the secretariat delegation in Tehran, which is present at this meeting representing the United Nations and UNEP, which is the trustee of the treaty and is currently administering the secretariat temporarily.
The Head of the Center for International Affairs and Conventions of the Department of Environment emphasized: The presence of the delegations of the member countries and the secretariat of the convention in Tehran is considered a very great diplomatic success for our country, which, God willing, will be the source of blessings and other positive events.
Presence of deputy ministers in the high-level session
In response to a question about the level of presence of high-level delegations on the final day of the meeting, he said: The high-level meeting will be held in Tehran with the presence of deputy ministers of the environment of all countries and also the presence of two special representatives of the President in Caspian Sea affairs, in two delegations.
Khorsand noted: This meeting will be held on Wednesday at the venue of the meeting and will finally end with the issuance of the ministers’ declaration, and COP7 will conclude its work.
