Diplomatic Tug-of-War: Turkey and Australia's COP31 Hosting Bid

Turkey and Australia are in discussions to jointly lead the U.N. climate summit COP31, though no agreement has yet been reached. Both countries submitted bids to host the event and are exploring a joint presidency model. Key negotiations are ongoing at COP30 in Brazil.

In a bid to resolve a diplomatic standoff, Turkey has proposed a joint leadership with Australia for the U.N. climate summit COP31. However, the proposal remains in a state of limbo with no agreement in sight, Turkish diplomatic sources reported.

The ongoing negotiations have garnered significant attention at COP30 in Belem, Brazil. Both countries initially submitted independent bids to host COP31 in 2022, leading to an impasse. Discussions during the U.N. General Assembly in September led to talks of a joint presidency, involving shared hosting responsibilities and negotiation leadership.

Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen, currently at the Brazil summit, stated that Australia has "overwhelming support" for its candidacy. Conversely, Turkey is keen on emphasizing cooperation and developing new financing models for developing nations, maintaining that jointly hosting could still be viable.

(With inputs from agencies.)