Events

8 Jun 2026

Belarus promotes environmental priorities at 8th GEF Assembly

An archive photo

MINSK, 8 June (BelTA) – Belarus presented national priorities in the environmental sphere at the 8^th Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), BelTA learned from the press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.

Belarusian Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Aleksei Stasyukevich held a series of bilateral meetings focusing on climate issues, biodiversity conservation and sustainable natural resource management. The Belarusian side consistently advocated the country’s national interests, emphasizing the need to take into account the interests of all states when implementing international environmental agreements and ensuring access to green financing.

Meetings devoted to climate policy and prospects for bilateral environmental cooperation were held with representatives of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Armenia, China, Germany and Sudan. Technical matters of cooperation under the new 9^th GEF cycle were discussed with the leadership of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), UNEP, the GEF Small Grants Program and UNDP.

During the visit, Aleksei Stasyukevich also toured a waste-to-energy plant under construction in Samarkand. The project, being implemented by Shanghai SUS Environment company, is among the first facilities in the region designed to convert waste into electricity. The plant, which is being built on a 15-hectare site in the Navruz mahalla near Samarkand, is intended to address two key objectives: waste disposal and the generation of environmentally friendly energy.

The parties discussed advanced waste-processing technologies, opportunities for their adaptation in Belarus, and prospects for further cooperation on environmental initiatives.

Aleksei Stasyukevich met with Suliman Elboni, Secretary General of Sudan’s Higher Council for Environment and Natural Resources. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection has been designated as the lead agency coordinating cooperation with Sudan. The meeting served as a practical follow-up to the agreements reflected in the protocol of the fifth meeting of the Belarusian-Sudanese Commission on Cooperation, signed in Minsk on 7 May.

The parties reviewed the full range of bilateral relations, paying particular attention to environmental issues and opportunities to intensify cooperation. The talks resulted in plans for further strengthening Belarusian-Sudanese cooperation in environmental protection and natural resource management.