Azerbaijan to host 3rd CIS Games with 246 medal sets across 7 cities
The 3rd CIS Games will take place in Azerbaijan from September 28 to October 8, featuring 246 medal sets in 23 sports disciplines across seven cities, including Khankendi.
Azerbaijan is calling for closer regional cooperation with Central Asian neighbors to confront the escalating climate crisis in the Caspian Sea, said Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan’s presidential climate envoy and COP29 President, in an interview with The Times of Central Asia.
Babayev stressed that falling water levels in the Caspian Sea, now at their lowest point since the 19th century, represent a growing threat to biodiversity, infrastructure, and economic stability in the region. He pointed to shared environmental pressures in the South Caucasus and Central Asia, including water scarcity and desertification, which are being worsened by climate change and declining river flows.
“The drying of the Caspian Sea is one of the central challenges,” Babayev said. “At the recent Nevsky International Environmental Congress, Azerbaijan proposed a summit to address this crisis.”
Technology-Driven Solutions and AI Integration
Highlighting the role of innovation, Babayev said Azerbaijan has incorporated artificial intelligence into its national climate programs to improve forecasting and scenario modeling. He called for joint scientific capacity-building and regional data-sharing as crucial first steps toward a coordinated environmental strategy.
“Artificial intelligence can improve forecasting and scenario modeling,” Babayev noted. “Regional actions have global implications, and the Caspian experience could shape future international climate policies.”
Call for Political Unity and River Restoration
Babayev identified the Kura, Ural, Terek, Samur, and Volga Rivers as essential lifelines for the Caspian ecosystem, warning that their reduced flow has exacerbated ecological decline. He emphasized that the climate crisis is particularly acute in Kazakhstan’s Atyrau and Aktau regions, where agriculture, marine energy, and port operations are increasingly affected.
He cautioned that, in the absence of political cooperation, water scarcity could trigger regional competition, underscoring the need for a unified political approach among Caspian littoral states to prevent tensions and coordinate environmental restoration.
“The Aral Sea offers a stark precedent; its desiccation triggered not only environmental degradation but also social upheaval,” he said. “Our focus now must be on mitigation and adaptation.”
Toward a Caspian Climate Summit
As president of the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) to be held in Baku, Babayev’s statements reflect Azerbaijan’s broader ambition to lead regional climate diplomacy. The proposed Caspian Summit would bring together states most directly affected by the crisis to agree on actionable measures to preserve one of the world’s largest inland bodies of water.
With rising climate pressures, Azerbaijan’s push for regional unity may become a central theme of COP29, bridging local challenges with the global climate agenda.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for June 8th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has condemned U.S. immigration raids and National Guard deployment in Los Angeles, calling for reforms instead of enforcement.
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Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized growing Turkic unity and Kazakhstan’s commitment to integration during a meeting with TurkPA parliamentary speakers in Astana.
Firebird, an AI cloud company, in partnership with the Armenian government and with support from NVIDIA, announced today a bold vision to build advanced AI infrastructure aimed at accelerating technological innovation and positioning the Caucasus region as a leading AI hub.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized the voluntary evacuation of military dependents from locations across the Middle East, a U.S. defense official said Wednesday.
Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) has signed an historic agreement to sell 48 units of the 5th generation indigenous fighter jet KAAN to Indonesia. The aircraft will be delivered during a 10-year period.
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