Sudan and Türkiye discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in environmental protection, combating desertification and climate change, as well as the exchange of expertise, technology transfer and capacity building. The discussions took place during a meeting between Suleiman Al-Boni, Secretary-General of Sudan’s Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources, and Türkiye’s Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Fatma Varank. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Mongolia. Al-Boni congratulated the Turkish government and people on hosting and presiding over the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), scheduled to be held in November. He expressed Sudan’s confidence in Türkiye’s ability to lead the conference towards practical outcomes that respond to the priorities and needs of developing and vulnerable countries. He said Sudan hopes the conference will mark a transition from commitments to effective implementation, particularly with regard to sustainable grant-based climate finance, support for adaptation, loss and damage, technology transfer and capacity building. Al-Boni explained that climate action in Sudan has become closely linked to recovery and reconstruction efforts amid the country’s multiple challenges, including the impacts of climate change, drought, land degradation and water scarcity, in addition to the effects of war on national resources and institutions. He stressed the importance of strengthening international and regional partnerships to support ecosystem restoration, sustainable agriculture, rangeland rehabilitation, national capacity development and the provision of financing for priority projects. During the meeting, the Sudanese side proposed the preparation of a memorandum of understanding between the two countries covering cooperation in environmental and climate-related fields, including combating desertification and land degradation, climate change adaptation, biodiversity protection, joint research, the development of environmental monitoring and early-warning systems, technology transfer, and the exchange of scientific and technical expertise. For her part, Fatma Varank affirmed Türkiye’s interest in strengthening environmental cooperation with Sudan, noting that her country would work, through its presidency of COP31, to support the issues and priorities of developing countries within the climate negotiations agenda. She explained that drought and food security would be among the key priorities of the upcoming conference, given their direct impact on communities and livelihoods, particularly in the most vulnerable countries. The Turkish official also announced Türkiye’s readiness to support Sudan in the transfer and indigenization of modern technologies, the development of joint projects to combat desertification and climate change, the exchange of technical and scientific expertise, and the building of national capacities. The two sides agreed to complete the necessary technical arrangements for the preparation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU), paving the way for its signing on the sidelines of events accompanying COP31 in Türkiye.BH/BH