"Strong and excellent": UAE envoy lauds India-UAE collaboration in addressing climate change at COP28
Dec 05, 2023
New Delhi [India], December 5 : UAE Ambassador to India, Abdulnasser Alshaali said on Tuesday that the India-UAE collaboration in addressing climate change was "strong and excellent."
The UAE envoy in an interview with ANI underscored the alignment of efforts between the G20 summit and the COP28 presidency, showcasing the commitment of both nations to address climate issues collaboratively.
"We wanted to make sure that whatever outcomes or results come out of the G20 summit translate also into certain outcomes during the COP28 presidency because there are certain overlaps," he said.
Addressing the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the UAE President during COP28, Alshaali said, "They discussed all sorts of topics among them, and most importantly, the COP28 presidency and climate action."
Moreover, he also emphasised that such discussions contribute to the progression of the bilateral relationship.
While highlighting the ongoing COP28 in Dubai, the UAE Envoy also stressed significant achievements, including the operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund with over USD 700 million in commitments. He highlighted India's active participation in crucial declarations related to climate, such as climate health and climate finance.
"We managed to operationalise the Loss and Damage Fund with more than USD 700 million in commitments, with USD 100 million coming from the UAE alone. We've had more than 130 countries sign the Food and Agriculture Declaration, more than 120 countries sign the Climate Health Declaration, and 13 countries, including India, sign the Climate Finance Declaration, among others," he added.
Notably, India has strongly supported the decision to operationalise the Loss and Damage Fund.
Meanwhile, Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement about India's bid to host the COP33 Summit in 2028, UAE Envoy Alshaali has expressed confidence in India's organisational prowess, asserting that India is more than capable of managing this.
He also drew parallels with India's effective management of the G20 meetings and the summit.
"We had members from the COP28 team coming in and seeing how India managed the G20 meetings and summit because it's a learning curve, and you get to see some other countries' experience," said Alshaali, adding, "If there is a country that could host it successfully, it would be India. I'm sure India is more than capable of managing this."
