Iranian and Armenian officials agreed to strengthen joint efforts to tackle environmental contamination in the Aras River during the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) held in Armenia from October 19 to 30, IRNA reported. Relevant agencies will address pollution challenges through coordinated national-level initiatives.
Ahmad-Reza Lahijanzadeh, deputy head of Iran’s Department of Environment (DOE), emphasized the economic, social, and cultural importance of the shared border river. He stated that preserving the river’s environment and improving water quality are essential for regional economic sustainability and the health of residents along its banks. Lahijanzadeh called for stronger bilateral ties to prevent pollutants from entering the waterway and to enhance its environmental management.
During the summit, Hamid Zohrabi, another deputy head of the DOE, met with his Armenian counterpart, Aram Meymaryan. Zohrabi proposed establishing a joint peace and friendship park to strengthen cross-border cooperation on biodiversity conservation and wildlife protection in the Caucasus region. Meymaryan welcomed the proposal. Both officials agreed to form a working group to follow up on the agreements reached during the conference.
President Pezeshkian Calls for Peace Diplomacy at Leaders Summit
The leaders’ summit took place on October 16, featuring an address by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. It marked the first time an Iranian president attended a Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Pezeshkian advocated for peace diplomacy to protect biodiversity, condemned the environmental impact of wars of aggression as ecocide, and urged the international community to establish enforceable mechanisms to protect natural heritage during wartime.
Shina Ansari, head of the DOE, also addressed the meeting. She noted that environmental diplomacy can serve as an instrument of peace diplomacy, describing the relationship between biodiversity, peace, and security as a two-way street. Ansari identified land-use change, habitat destruction, pollution, the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, and climate change as the main drivers of biodiversity loss.
Iran Joins the Coalition of Action to Recover Endangered Species
Iran officially joined the Coalition of Action to Recover Endangered Species (CARES) on October 26, when Zohrabi signed the membership document. Unveiled at COP17 in Yerevan on October 16, the coalition was launched by Colombia and Armenia alongside 17 founding governments. Iran is the 18th country to join the initiative, which is supported by the Reverse the Red Action partnership as secretariat.
As a member, Iran’s name will appear on the coalition’s website as a country that has developed action plans for the conservation of 40 wildlife species. This status allows the country to receive technical, scientific, and financial support from CARES.
In addition, the Iranian delegation met with Vivek Menon, chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission. They discussed management and conservation programs for endangered species, focusing on the Asiatic cheetah, the great bustard, the Persian zebra, and the reintroduction of the Persian fallow deer into its natural habitat. Menon expressed hope that the ongoing collaboration will ensure the survival of endangered species in Iran.
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