Baqaei made the remarks in response to journalists' questions about the President's trip to Armenia, explaining that the short visit to Yerevan on Friday, October 16, is aimed at participating in the 17th Summit of Heads of State of the Convention on Biological Diversity, with sideline meetings planned with some participating leaders.
Explaining the importance of the international treaty for nature and environmental protection, Baqaei said the UN Convention on Biological Diversity was established in 1992 and currently has 196 members, with all countries except the U.S. being party to the document.
He noted that Iran is among the initial signatories of the treaty, became an official member in 1996, and has played an important role over the past three decades in formulating mechanisms and rules related to biodiversity and environmental protection.
Referring to the damage inflicted on Iran's and the region's environment, including in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, during the U.S. and Israeli regime's military aggression against Iran, Baqaei emphasized that the Islamic Republic will use every opportunity to document and explain the crimes committed against the environment.
Regarding the CICA summit in Baku, Baqaei said Iran, as one of the important and influential countries in West Asia, is participating in the 7th high-level meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, held today, October 15, in Baku, Azerbaijan.
He noted that given the schedules of the President and Foreign Minister, the Deputy for International Legal Affairs is representing Iran at the 7th CICA high-level meeting.
Baqaei explained that CICA is a multilateral regional institution established about three decades ago on Kazakhstan's initiative to strengthen peace and stability in Asia through confidence-building between countries. It currently has 27 permanent members, 10 observers, and 8 international and regional organizations, including the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), as partner organizations.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson also announced the Foreign Minister's trip to Baghdad to participate in the annual meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Saturday and Sunday, October 17-18.
ahmad shirzadian - H.Hakimzadeh
