Minister discusses climate initiative in Egypt

Cyprus will present its climate change initiative at a special event to be held on the sidelines of the UN climate change conference, Agriculture Minister Costas Kadis said on Wednesday.

Kadis travelled to Egypt where he held meetings with the country’s Minister of Environment, Yasmine Fouad, and Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Tarek El Molla on Tuesday.

The meetings focused on the initiative of President Nicos Anastasiades to coordinate the activities of the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East to address the consequences of climate change in the region.

The Cypriot minister briefed his counterparts on the progress of the work of the initiative and handed them the reports prepared by the 13 working groups, in which more than 240 eminent scientists from the region and from all over the world participated. The reports include recommendations and measures related to different thematic areas, focusing on addressing climate change in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region.

Since Egypt will host the United Nations World Climate Conference next November, the ministers discussed the organisation of a special event on the sidelines of the conference, in which the leaders of the countries of the region will participate. During the event, the Cypriot initiative will be presented with the aim to ensure the support of other country leaders. The event would be co-organised by Cyprus and Egypt.

Ways for Cyprus to support similar initiatives developed by Egypt were also discussed during the meetings.