The Taliban will attend a UN climate conference for the first time since their takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, the country’s national environment agency said on Sunday.

The conference, known as COP29, begins on Monday in Azerbaijan and is one of the most important multilateral talks to include the Taliban, who do not have official recognition as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan. Matiul Haq Khalis, head of the National Environmental Protection Agency, said the delegation visiting Baku would use the conference to strengthen cooperation with the international community on environmental protection and climate change.