On November 11, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, took part in the Leaders' Summit held on the sidelines of the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) in Antalya. His speech presented Turkmenistan's initiatives to strengthen international cooperation on climate issues and adaptation to their consequences, the TDH news agency reports.

The summit was attended by heads of state and government, ministers, heads of international organizations, experts and representatives of the business community. The main topics of discussion were food security, agriculture, energy, transport, industry, technology and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Before the conference began, Hero-Arkadag was welcomed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Following the official photo ceremony, COP31 was opened.

In his speech, Hero-Arkadag reaffirmed Turkmenistan's commitment to fulfilling its obligations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement. The priorities identified included reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving energy efficiency, introducing environmentally friendly technologies and enhancing methane emissions monitoring.

Particular attention was paid to regional cooperation in Central Asia. In particular, the importance of establishing a Regional Center for Climate Change Technologies was noted, and an initiative was put forward to establish a center for combating desertification.

Proposals at the international level included declaring 2028–2037 the Decade of Climate Resilience and Adaptation, establishing the Ashgabat Climate Dialogue, with the first meeting to be held in 2027, developing a Digital Atlas of Climate Change, creating a global partnership on climate technologies and considering the possibility of adopting an International Environmental Code under the auspices of the UN.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov also emphasized the importance of the climate component of the Avaza Programme of Action for 2024–2034. A separate session within the framework of COP31 will be devoted to this topic.

During the visit, Turkmenistan signed a number of cooperation documents with international organizations. They cover the protection of children and young people from the effects of climate change, the gradual phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons, support for the energy transition in remote settlements, agricultural development and water resource management.

In particular, the Declaration on Children, Youth and Climate Action was signed with UNICEF, an agreement with UNIDO on implementing the third phase of the project to phase out hydrochlorofluorocarbons for 2026–2030, a project document with UNDP on supporting the energy transition in remote settlements, the Country Programming Framework for Cooperation with FAO for 2026–2030, as well as a memorandum between the State Committee for Water Management of Turkmenistan and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

Turkmenistan's national pavilion at COP31 presented the country's initiatives in environmental protection, the introduction of water- and resource-saving technologies, the reduction of methane emissions and the development of a "green" economy. The exhibition also introduced visitors to the annual tree-planting campaigns and Hero-Arkadag's multi-volume work "Medicinal Plants of Turkmenistan".

At the end of the visit programme, the National Leader of the Turkmen people departed Antalya for his homeland. At Ashgabat International Airport, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was welcomed by Turkmenistan's officials and Turkey's Ambassador Şener Cebeci.