TOKYO: Tokyo Governor KOIKE Yuriko will attend the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, she told the media on Friday. COP28 will start on November 30.
Koike will arrive in the United Arab Emirates on November 30 and leave on December 2. Her first port of call will be Abu Dhabi before proceeding to nearby Dubai. Koike said she is interested in exploring the UAE’s initiatives on decarbonization.
“I would like to visit Dubai and Abu Dhabi to communicate with those who accept such new initiatives and the metropolitan government’s efforts using new Japanese technologies such as hydrogen and perovskite,” she said. “I’m looking forward to meeting many people. Many people from all over the world and from the UAE will be there, so I’m looking forward to having various opportunities (to meet people).”
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government recently held a new international conference, “HENCA Tokyo 2023,” which was attended by the UAE Ambassador to Japan, Shihab Ahmad al-Fahim. In addition, Tokyo has various ties with the UAE.
“We are conducting exchanges with high school students,” said Koike, who speaks fluent Arabic. “High school students from Abu Dhabi came to Tokyo to study and hold presentations with students from metropolitan high schools. Metropolitan high school students also go to Abu Dhabi and have exchanges there. I think it is a very good initiative.”
“I do not know whether it is appropriate to use the term ‘excellent investment for the future,’ but I believe that this will lead to bilateral and regional understanding in the future.”