Afghan delegation be invited to COP30 meet: Khalis

KABUL (Pajhwok): National Environmental Protection Authority (NEPA) chief Maulvi Mati-ul-Haq Khalis has urged inclusion of an Afghan delegation in international environmental events, particularly the upcoming COP30 conference, so that Afghanistan can voice its rightful concerns.

He issued the call at a meeting with Kazakhstan’s Chargé d’Affaires, Gaziz Akbasov, NEPA said in a statement.

Highlighting shared challenges and commonalities between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan, Khalis urged enhanced bilateral cooperation in areas such as climate adaptation, water and natural resource management, the resumption of stalled environmental projects in Afghanistan, capacity-building for NEPA staff, and the signing of cooperation agreements.

“Kazakhstan has valuable experience in these fields,” Khalis said. “We can greatly benefit from their expertise in responding to climate change.”

He underscored that Afghanistan, despite contributing minimally to global greenhouse gas emissions, is among the countries most severely affected by climate change.

Khalis stressed that Afghan voices must be included in global climate discussions, particularly at COP30, which is expected to be held in Brazil, so the country can assert its environmental rights.

While the exact date of the COP30 conference was not mentioned.

For his part, Chargé d’Affaires Akbasov reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s support for Afghanistan, saying: “Our mission is to assist Afghanistan in humanitarian and infrastructure development. We will strive to ensure Afghan voices are heard at international forums because climate change and environmental challenges are shared across the region and require collective action.”

kk/ma