Minister: Azerbaijan tops list of regional twinning projects

By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

Azerbaijan is the regional leader in terms of the number of twinning projects, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mukhtar Babayev said.

He underscored this during the opening ceremony of the project on "Strengthening services in the field of hydrometeorology and climate in Azerbaijan" implemented with the support of the EU.

The minister noted that over the years, twinning projects, beneficiated by various departments of the country, received the status of the most successful projects of the European Commission.

He emphasized that the "Improving the national environmental monitoring system in Azerbaijan based on the exemplary experience of the European Union" twinning project was selected by the EU in 2019 as one of the most successful projects ever implemented.

Additionally, Babayev highlighted that the issues of the environment occupy an important place in a bilateral agreement, which defines the relations between Azerbaijan and the EU.

According to him, the priority issues for Azerbaijan are environmental impact assessment, water resources and waste management, environmental education and training, sustainable forest management, communication of environmental information to the public, improvement of air quality, and conservation of biodiversity.

"Azerbaijan is actively participating in regional projects implemented as part of the Eastern Partnership initiative of the EU. According to information published by the World Meteorological Organization, the number and intensity of natural disasters in the world are growing as a result of rapid climate change. There is no region on the planet that would not face Hurricane Ian that swept over America, and the natural disaster that caused devastation in France showed once again that no economy is immune to the climate crisis," Babayev said.

Noting the impossibility of preventing such processes, the minister stated that accurate forecasts and timely warnings can reduce possible negative consequences and save lives.

“Therefore, building the capacity of national forecasting agencies around the world serves to ensure the hydrometeorological safety of the countries. Azerbaijan highly appreciates the support provided to countries by the World Meteorological Organization and continues business cooperation with this organization," he informed.