Your Excellency, Nikos President of the Republic of Cyprus Your Majesties, Excellencies and Highnesses,

I am pleased to welcome you today to this important meeting held in partnership between Egypt and Cyprus. His keenness to contribute to the output of our summit with results that contribute to the consolidation of the principle of implementation within which we meet.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Egypt has been keen to join the initiative to coordinate climate action in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean since its first launch in 2019, believing in the important role that this initiative can play in the framework of coordinating policies to confront climate change among the member states of the initiative, which contributes to strengthening the work of the initiative. The climate and efforts to overcome its negative effects in our regional surroundings, a region, as you know, is among the regions most affected by the consequences of climate change and its devastating effects at all levels, which has become clearly evident during the past few years that witnessed severe climatic events in the region from forest fires to Floods and torrential rain left huge human and material losses.

Perhaps you will agree with me that voluntary initiatives aimed at mobilizing support for efforts to confront climate change have become one of the most important mechanisms for global climate action, especially since it has become known that despite the primary responsibility of states and governments in this effort, other non-governmental actors can, and even It must play complementary and supportive roles, based on its responsibilities and in accordance with the principles of cooperation and participation. Here comes the importance of these initiatives, which allow all these parties to coordinate their policies and efforts.

In fact, what distinguishes the initiative in which we are meeting today from other initiatives and efforts is the scientific component that it contains, which is indispensable if we seek to make our efforts to confront climate change consistent with the best available science, which puts us on the right path towards implementing the goals The Paris Agreement, including the 1.5°C target.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

During our meeting, I look forward to learning about what the initiative has been able to achieve since its launch until today, including the proposed regional action plan, which I am confident will contribute to strengthening our joint efforts towards confronting climate change in the region. With its efforts to confront climate change at the national and regional levels, I am confident that we will emerge from our conversation today with a more profound understanding of the magnitude of the challenge facing our countries and the amount of effort required of us to confront it. Thank you for listening.

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