Meeting of Emine Erdoğan and Shina Ansari on the sidelines of the Zero Waste Summit in Istanbul
Emine Erdoğan, spouse of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Honorary President of the “Zero Waste Foundation,” met with Shina Ansari, Vice President of Iran and Head of the Department of Environment, on the sidelines of the International “Zero Waste Summit” in Istanbul.
Ansari congratulated Turkey’s First Lady for hosting the summit, stressing that this is the first major environmental gathering in the region organized by Turkey. She added: “Iran is also actively engaged in waste management, and the exchange of experience and knowledge in this field is of great importance.”
Pointing to Turkey’s extensive experience in areas such as the protection of natural life, waste management, and water conservation, Ansari described the development of environmental cooperation between the two countries as “highly valuable.” She further noted that Turkey has always taken a clear stance on regional issues and has stood by Iran. According to her, achieving peace is essential for success in environmental matters.
Emine Erdoğan, for her part, said the participation of the Iranian delegation strengthened the summit. She emphasized: “Dialogue and peace must be the foundation of diplomacy, although unfortunately in recent years war and conflict have spread in the region.” She underlined the importance of mutual support between the two friendly countries and affirmed that Turkey stands by Iran.
The First Lady of Turkey also praised Ansari’s environmental efforts and declared her country’s readiness to cooperate in all fields.
The meeting was also attended by Murat Kurum, Turkish Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change; Nuh Yılmaz, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Samad Ağırbaş, President of the Zero Waste Foundation.
