Riyadh, 26 October 2021 (TDI): United States (US) Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, met Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan. The meeting took place on 26 October on the sidelines of the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) Summit.
The meeting boiled to a discussion on climate change and developments in Afghanistan.
Addressing Climate Change: Top priority of Pakistan
Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Pakistan highly priorities climate change. He added the government of Pakistan is undertaking concentrated and concrete efforts to address the issue of climate change. The Prime Minister also briefed the US envoy regarding the initiatives taken by his government in this regard; especially the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami project.
The Prime Minister emphasized the need for extending global as well as regional cooperation to counter the existential threat of climate change. He also mentioned the challenges faced by the developing countries in this regard.
Pak-US collaboration on Climate Change
During the meeting, Prime Minister Imran also expressed a desire to further enhance collaboration between Pakistan and United States on climate change.
He said the formation of the “US-Pakistan Climate and Environment Working Group” is a very constructive step. It will help in advancing the green development vision of both countries. The Prime Minister also stressed that the two countries should exchange ideas, expertise, and technology. This will complement the climate-related efforts of both countries and will help in the fight against climate change.
Moreover, Prime Minister Imran Khan asked the envoy to further explore areas of enhanced bilateral engagement in this regard. He called on the United States to support investment in climate mitigation, resilience, and adaptation in Pakistan and the developing world through the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
Sharing his views, the US Special Envoy for Climate said Pakistan and United States share a long-standing relationship. This should be reinforced by collaboration on climate change and environmental degradation.
Furthermore, he stressed the importance attached by the Biden administration on climate change. He also informed the Prime Minister about various measures taken by the US to achieve a global consensus on climate change ahead of the United National Climate Change Conference 2021 (COP26). The conference will take place from 31 October to 12 November 2021 in Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Additionally, the US envoy, John Kerry, pointed out the need for enhancing cooperation in the renewable energy sector between the countries.
Both sides agreed to further augment bilateral relations between the United States and Pakistan in the domain of climate change. They consented to formulate an effective and comprehensive framework of cooperation in this regard.
Developments in Afghanistan
Sharing his views on Afghanistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan stressed the need for positive engagement of the international community in the country. He said abandoning Afghanistan at this critical juncture will to regional, as well as global, instability.
The Prime Minister reiterated the need for international assistance in averting a humanitarian crisis in Kabul and preventing a mass exodus of people from the country. He also stressed unfreezing the financial assists of Afghanistan. The Prime Minister said this step is necessary for reinstating the socio-economic fabric of the country.
The United States and Pakistan are collaborating on the issue of climate change. This meeting will prove to be fruitful in steeping up the climate cooperation between both countries. It will pave way for further developments in this regard.
 Special Presidential Envoy for Climate , John Kerry, met Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan....(Read More).){kind=link}