Meeting Between Iran’s Vice President and Head of the Department of Environment with Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary Environment Climate Change Forestry

on the Sidelines of UNEA‑7

On the sidelines of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA‑7), Dr. Shina Ansari, Vice President and Head of Iran’s Department of Environment, met with Dr. Deborah Barasa, Kenya’s Minister of Environment and Forestry.

Dr. Ansari expressed appreciation to Kenya for hosting UNEA‑7 and highlighted the strong relations between the two countries, noting the successful convening of the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation. She emphasized that such cooperation could be extended to the environmental sector. Referring to Iran’s past experiences in protecting conservation areas, endangered species, and training park rangers, she underlined the vast potential for collaboration between Iran and Kenya in these fields. Dr. Ansari further announced that a bilateral environmental cooperation agreement between the two countries will soon be signed.

Minister Barasa, while commending the constructive role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the UNEA‑7 negotiations, provided an update on the latest status of resolutions and ongoing discussions. She noted that the bilateral environmental agreement is in the final stages of review at Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and expressed hope that it will soon be ready for signature by both sides.

Minister Barasa also called on Iran’s Vice President to support efforts toward achieving a unified global approach and finalizing the documents under negotiation.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Ansari extended an official invitation to Kenya’s Minister of Environment to visit Iran and expressed hope that environmental issues at UNEA‑7 and other international forums would be addressed purely on technical and scientific grounds, without political considerations.