According to IRNA, Salajegheh made the remarks while addressing the SCO Green Development Forum commenced officially in Qingdao, China, where regional leaders are addressing global climate change challenges and promoting sustainable development.
While expressing gratitude to SCO leaders and members for sending condolence messages and holding memorial services following the tragic loss of Iranian President Ebtrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in a copter crash in May this year, Salajegheh also hailed the Chinese government for hosting the two-day event that began on Monday aimed at protecting the environment and promoting green development.
The SCO meeting provides an opportunity to come up with effective and appropriate measures to solve common and regional challenges related to the environment and green development, he said
Salajegheh also pointed to common responsibility of members in condemning the genocide and the brutal killing of about 40, 000 innocent people in Gaza, the need for all-round support for the Palestinian people and condemning the crimes of the Zionist occupation regime as well as measures to stop these crimes along with efforts to compensate for the damage caused to the environment of Gaza.
Population growth and the industrialization and related issues such as migration and various infectious diseases, water scarcity, increase in greenhouse gases, global warming, melting of polar ice have more or less disrupted the balance of ecosystems and their risks on biodiversity, food security and human health and the environment, are among the current pressing issues in the world that must be addressed with thorough policy making by prioritizing goals and adopting strategies, the Iranian official said.
The head of Iran’s Department of Environment also said that although it is difficult to establish a balance between environmental measures and other development goals, including poverty alleviation and economic growth, but any compromise between development measures and goals and neglecting one for the benefit or detriment of the other should be avoided. “Developing countries should make sure of their social and economic development as the main priority, because the fight against poverty and the development of health and the provision of housing and energy is still for a significant part of the developing world, considered a basic priority”.
As an independent and responsible country, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always emphasized the importance of protecting the environment and has placed this importance task at the forefront of its policies, strategies, and development plans, he emphasized but underlined that the unjust and illegitimate unilateral sanctions against Iran has resulted in numerous effects in terms of environmental destruction and a decrease in the level of balanced development.
Of course, the youth of my country, in the form of knowledge-based companies, have not sat idle by in the face of these cruel unilateral sanctions, and by focusing on research and development and innovation, and relying on their knowledge, they have tried to solve part of environmental problems. Here, I would like to express the readiness of Iran to share these achievements and experiences and cooperate seriously with other SCO member countries with the aim to improve the environmental status of the region.
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