President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Action John Kerry held a telephone conversation on Monday, November 27.

The main subject of the conversation was preparations for the upcoming COP-28 Conference in Dubai and climate issues, in particular, interaction between Turkmenistan and the United States in the field of reducing methane emissions and legal strengthening of cooperation in this area. This was reported in the news release of the Turkmen State Radio and Television.

Turkmenistan considers climate change issues as one of the most important aspects of its foreign policy and respects the positions of states, including the United States, regarding measures taken to consolidate international efforts in this area, positively assessing the proposals put forward, Serdar Berdimuhamedov said.

John Kerry expressed gratitude to the head of Turkmenistan for the work being done in solving such a significant issue of our time as combating climate change and reducing methane emissions, and also voiced a number of proposals.

The interlocutors stated that global environmental challenges pose new tasks for states, primarily related to the modernization of national plans and strategies, including modern standards for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, it is necessary to resolve issues of investment in renewable energy sources and develop technologies for adaptation to climate change.

It was noted that Turkmenistan actively participates in the implementation of international initiatives and agreements in this area, and also takes specific measures to implement relevant conventions and treaties at the national level. The signing by Turkmenistan of a Memorandum of Cooperation with UNEP on November 13 of this year was the first practical step towards promoting Turkmenistan’s proposal to create a Regional Center for Technologies related to Climate Change.

During the conversation, it was emphasized that at the COP-26 Conference, Turkmenistan expressed support for the Global Methane Commitment initiative and is interested in studying it in detail. In this regard, the key positions of Turkmenistan on this issue were presented.

The telephone conversation took place on the initiative of the American side, the national news service added.

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