Esteemed Organizers,
Dear Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to join you today for this timely discussion on climate change and international cooperation. At the outset, I would like to thank the organizers for bringing us together to exchange views on one of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Climate change remains one of the most challenging global threats. No country is immune from its impacts. The past 11 years have been the warmest years on record. Heatwaves, droughts, floods and wildfires are affecting sustainable development efforts with greater intensity. These developments underline the urgency of translating our collective climate commitments into concrete action. Today, preserving the spirit of multilateralism and strengthening collective action are more important than ever.

Türkiye is honored to host COP31 from 9 to 20 November 2026 in Antalya, at an important moment for the international climate process. Together with Australia, we approach this responsibility with a strong sense of commitment and a clear objective: to help advance an inclusive, constructive, and action-oriented global climate agenda.

Over the past months, we have been engaging extensively with Parties and stakeholders and listening carefully to their expectations for Antalya. One clear message has emerged from these discussions: as we enter the second decade of the Paris Agreement, the focus increasingly needs to shift towards implementation which is at the heart of our vision for COP31 as an “Implementation COP”.

At the same time, this transition is taking place against a challenging international background. Geopolitical tensions, energy security concerns, development needs and financing constraints affect the pace of the transition in many countries. International cooperation, therefore, is essential.

Implementation needs to be balanced. Progress on mitigation needs to go hand in hand with adaptation and adequate means of implementation. It has to include finance, technology development and capacity-building.

Different countries have different national circumstances, development priorities and capacities. These differences need to be taken into account if we want implementation.

Needless to say, implementation cannot be separated from means of implementation. Better access to climate finance, technology and capacity-building is essential if developing countries are to translate their national climate priorities into concrete action.

Distinguished Participants,

The theme of today’s Summit, [“Resilient Chains, Symbiosis, and New Green Horizon”] perfectly reflects the broader transformation taking place in the global economy.

Transition to a low-carbon future is reshaping energy systems, industrial production, global supply chains, and international trade. It creates new opportunities for innovation and sustainable growth. It presents new challenges concerning technological access, economic resilience, and development disparities.

Our fundamental task is to ensure that this transformation strengthens international cooperation rather than creating new divisions.

In this respect, participation of private sector, financial institutions, academia and civil society is indispensable. The success of global climate commitments ultimately depends on their translation into investment, innovation, and practical solutions.

China has an important role to play in this process. Its substantial renewable energy capacity advances in clean technologies have made it a key actor in the global green transition.

Türkiye highly values its cooperation with China in energy and sustainable development and sees significant potential in developing this relation.

As we prepare for COP31, China’s active and constructive engagement in negotiations and broader climate action agenda is particularly important.

We look forward to welcoming the Chinese delegation to Antalya and working closely together to advance our shared objectives. After all, COP31 represents an opportunity to demonstrate that, even in a challenging international environment, cooperation can prevail over division and collective action. That is how we can produce concrete results.

The success of Antalya will depend on our willingness to bridge differences, uphold mutual trust and translate our commitments into concrete action. Türkiye stands ready with Australia to fulfill its responsibility as COP31 President with determination, inclusiveness and a spirit of cooperation.

While concluding, I would like to express my hope that today’s discussions will contribute to the constructive momentum we seek to build in Antalya and reiterate my thanks to the organizers.

Thank you / Xie Xie