TEHRAN – An Iranian delegation will participate in the 11th Nevsky International Ecological Congress which is planned to be held from May 22 to 23 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Ministers of environment from more than 40 countries, including Azerbaijan, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Belarus, Serbia, Indonesia, Jordan, Cambodia, and Kenya, will attend the Congress. 

Iranian officials are planning to use the opportunity to raise and discuss the Caspian Sea’s major environmental and ecological challenges, such as water level reduction, pollution, fishing, and fisheries, IRNA reported.

Iran will also take the chance to set the time for the Tehran Convention, which is going to be held in Tehran this year.  

The head of the Department of Environment, Shina Ansari, is scheduled to deliver a speech. On the sidelines of the event, the Iranian delegation will hold meetings with the chairman of the Russian Federation Council, the deputy prime minister of Russia, and the other ministers of environment at the congress.

Participation in the meeting of Environment Ministers of the Caspian Sea, as well as the BRICS panel, is among other programs of the Iranian delegation.

Nevsky International Ecological Congress 

The 11th Nevsky International Ecological Congress will take place under the motto ‘Planet Earth: Living in Harmony with Nature’.

The main goal of the Nevsky International Ecological Congress is to create effective sustainable development mechanisms to preserve the environment in a changing climate. The Congress 2025 will once again host interstate, intersectoral dialogue on important environmental issues, with representatives from international organizations, government authorities, and business, scientific, and expert communities from across the globe already having confirmed their intention to attend the event.

The 11th Nevsky International Ecological Congress will kick off on 22 May with a Youth Programme, which will become an important part of the business agenda.

Participants will be treated to open dialogues and thematic sessions on youth engagement in the resolution of climate issues, the promotion of environmental awareness, the development of a culture of environmental volunteering, the inclusion of children in the ‘green’ agenda, and the role of youth climate initiatives in a more sustainable future.

A meeting of the State Council Commission of the Russian Federation on Ecological Well-Being will be held on the first day of the Congress and will be attended by representatives of the authorities and scientific and business communities. Discussions will focus on strategic guidelines for environmental policymaking under modern conditions.

The roundtables and sessions slated to take place on 22 May will focus on food security and climate risks, sustainable ecotourism, how artificial intelligence and digital solutions can be applied to benefit the environment, international cooperation within BRICS, conditions in the Caspian region, the development of the circular economy, the role of women in promoting eco-initiatives, green investment, the management of mineral resources, and low-carbon technologies.

The Congress will continue on 23 May; regional heads, mayors, and experts will discuss the modern sustainable development practices of megacities, the process of making transport more environmentally friendly, the preservation of green areas, and new approaches to health preservation.

A special United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) session will shine a light on the management of Natural World Heritage Sites and the development of transboundary conservation areas, with participants also discussing the prospects of water and energy cooperation between Russia and Central Asia, water resource allocation, the modernization of infrastructure, and how to adapt to climate change.

The highlight of the Congress will come in the plenary session, ‘Ecology of the New Reality: Challenges and Opportunities’, a strategic discussion of global and national environmental challenges, new opportunities for the development of the green economy, and international cooperation.

MT/MG