Arab News, Monday, Apr 5, 2021 | Shaaban 22, 1442
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan to sign climate deal
Saudi Arabia:
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are set to sign an agreement in mid-April to
collaborate in environmental initiatives, a senior Pakistani government official
has confirmed.
The collaboration comes after Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan last week
welcomed the recent Green Saudi Arabia and Green Middle East initiatives
introduced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki and Khan’s special
aide on climate change, Malik Amin Aslam, met on Saturday to discuss the
possible relationship.
“During our conversation, the Saudi envoy said the Kingdom was open to
collaboration with Pakistan and wanted to declare their environmental projects
as sister initiatives,” Aslam told Arab News.
“I recommended signing a formal MoU to carry forward such cooperation and the
Saudi envoy maintained that we should do it as early as possible. We have
already started preparing the draft which will be signed within 10 days,” he
added.
Last week, Pakistan welcomed the Saudi crown prince’s green campaigns as a major
step in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. The
Green Saudi Arabia and Green Middle East initiatives aim to reduce carbon
emissions in the region by 60 percent and plant 50 billion trees in the world’s
biggest afforestation project.
“Am delighted to learn of ‘Green Saudi Arabia’ & ‘Green Middle East’ initiatives
by my brother, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman!” Khan wrote
on Twitter last week, adding: “Have offered our support on these as there are
many complementarities with our ‘Clean & Green Pakistan’ & ‘10 Billion-Tree
Tsunami’.”
Khan was referring to his government’s ambitious five-year tree planting program
launched in 2018, with the aim of countering rising temperatures, flooding,
droughts, and other extreme weather issues in the country that scientists have
linked to climate change.
In a letter to the crown prince, Khan said that while Pakistan and Saudi Arabia
already maintained close cooperation on climate change issues at multilateral
forums, “a meaningful and structured bilateral engagement can help advance our
shared vision and create mutually beneficial opportunities for partnership.”