- ARAB NEWS
- 25 Apr 2024
Since 1975
Mohammed Abu Zaid
CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi expressed his aspiration “to continue consultations with the American side on climate change issues during the coming period within the framework of the partnership between Egypt and the United States,” during a meeting with US Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry.
Egypt hosts the COP27 World Climate Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh in November, and El-Sisi stressed Cairo would “adopt a comprehensive and neutral approach during its presidency of this summit.”
He added that Egypt “will take into account the priorities and positions of all parties, in order to ensure that the summit produces positive results in the interest of supporting international climate action with all its components, especially with regard to reducing emissions and adapting to the negative effects of climate change, and mobilizing climate finance for developing countries.”
Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said El-Sisi “welcomed the visit of the US envoy to Egypt, and held the first meeting of the Egyptian-American working group on climate change during it, as one of the results of the last round of the strategic dialogue between Egypt and the US.”
Kerry, who is on a two-day visit to Cairo, affirmed “the confidence of the American side in Egypt’s leadership of the upcoming climate summit, and their keenness to enhance joint cooperation between the two countries in this framework, in order to advance international efforts to confront climate change.”
The US envoy also “lauded President El-Sisi’s seriousness in addressing international climate action and green transition, something that is highly regarded by the international community.”
He added that this “was reflected in Egypt’s efforts at the internal and international levels through the participation of the Egyptian president in the Summit of Heads of State and Government on the sidelines of the Glasgow Conference last year, as well as recently participating in the ‘One Ocean’ conference in the French city of Brest, and then chairing the round table on climate change during the last EU-AU summit in Brussels.”
Rady continued that Kerry stressed “the importance of these efforts in expressing the concerns of developing countries, especially Africa, regarding climate action,” and stated that “the meeting witnessed discussions on ways to enhance cooperation between the two friendly countries through the participation of American companies and institutions in Egypt’s efforts to transform into an energy center … foremost of which are the production of green hydrogen, solar and wind energy, and low carbon transportation projects carbon and electric vehicles.
“Egypt has taken effective steps to create a conducive climate for investments in these areas, whether by issuing and amending the required laws and legislation, or by providing innovative financing mechanisms for green projects such as the green bonds that Egypt recently introduced,” he said.
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, the president-designate of COP27, also held a session of talks with Kerry, where they launched the Egyptian-American working group on climate, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Shoukry said “it was agreed to establish this group during the round of strategic dialogue between Egypt and the US last year.”
In a press conference following the talks, the foreign minister said that the issue of climate change is a common priority for Egypt and the US, especially with Egypt’s readiness to host the 27th session of the climate conference, and to lead international efforts to confront the crisis during the coming period.
Last June, Kerry announced an increase in US funding to help Egypt switch to solar energy and away from fossil fuels, a major source of energy in the country.
