Deputy PM holds talks with COP26 President

Addis Ababa, January 28, 2021 (FBC) –Addis Ababa, January 28, 2021 (FBC) -Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen yesterday received and held a fruitful discussion with Alok Sharma, UK’s President-Designate of COP26 for climate change.

Sharma applauded Ethiopia’s remarkable achievement with regard to adaptation and efforts made to combat the effects of climate change and said that the country has become a beacon of hope for the region.

The President-Designate also indicated that UK as host of the COP 26 expects ambitious targets to be achieved at the Conference and Ethiopia’s experience in terms of commitment to global outcomes is exemplary and expressed his confidence that it will play a prominent role in various groups in the negotiations in a run up to the Conference in Glasgow.

Demeke thanked Sharma for his visit and recalled that he had a productive meeting with Foreign Secretary Raab last week on various issues including climate change.

Ethiopia is glad to see UK host this year’s Conference of the Parities meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at which it has much to bring to this year’s COP to achieve ambitious outcome said the Minister.

Demeke also said Ethiopians and people of the Horn of Africa have already been bearing the brunt of climate change as manifested in the form of recurrent drought, flooding, and other natural calamities which pose greater challenge for their development.

Ethiopia has been implementing the Climate Resilient Green Economy Strategy with the aim to build a green and resilient economy by 2030 added the Minister.

In discharging its responsibility to implement the Paris Agreement, Demeke said Ethiopia has recently submitted comprehensive summary of its enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution to UNFCCC and under its Green Legacy national flagship initiative aspires to plant more than 20 billion tree seedlings within four years.

Demeke assured Sharma that Ethiopia is ready to actively participate in the preparatory process and at the Conference itself and is determined to show case some of its best practices and forge partnership in curbing the effects of climate change.

Sharman has been appointed full-time President for COP 26 on 8 January 2021.

COP26 is the next annual UN climate change conference. COP stands for Conference of the Parties, and the summit will be attended by the countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – a treaty that came into force in 1994.