ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran will attend the ‘Middle East Green Initiative Summit’ to be held in Riyadh on October 25.
talking dawnThe Prime Minister’s Special Representative to the Middle East, Tahir Ashrafi, confirmed Mr Khan’s participation in the event, saying he has accepted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s invitation.
The invitation was extended in July.
The Prime Minister is likely to visit Saudi Arabia over the weekend. Apart from attending the summit, Mr Khan is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with the Saudi leadership.
In March this year, the Saudi leadership launched the Saudi Green and Middle East Green plans, which aimed to cut carbon emissions by 60 percent by employing clean hydrocarbon technologies and planting nearly 50 billion trees, including 10 billion in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Green Initiative has a more domestic focus while the Middle East Green Initiative is meant to lead regional efforts to achieve global goals to combat climate change.
Pakistan was one of the first countries to welcome the initiative. PM Khan offered Pakistan’s help in the massive plantation project in a letter to the Saudi Crown Prince on that occasion.
On that occasion the Prime Minister’s Office said that the Saudi initiative closely coincides with the Prime Minister’s own climate change initiatives – ‘Clean and Green Pakistan’ and ’10 Billion Tree Tsunami’.
The Green Initiative website says: “The conference will convene international and regional leaders to inspire consensus against shared environmental commitments.”
Published in Dawn, October 19, 2021
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