“In the name of Allah the Most Benevolent, the Most Merciful"

Your Excellency President Nicos Anastasiades,

President of Cyprus,

Your Majesties, Excellencies, and Highnesses

It is my pleasure to welcome you today in this important session, which is held in partnership between Egypt and Cyprus. In this regard, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for my dear friend, President Nicos Anastasiades, President of Cyprus, for his initiative to convene this session during the “Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit”. This stems from his keenness for our summit to result in outcomes that reinforce the principle of “Implementation”, around which we are gathered.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Egypt was keen on joining the “Climate Action Coordination Initiative in the Middle East and East Mediterranean” since its launch for the first time in 2019, based on its belief in the important role this initiative could have. It was part of efforts to coordinate policies to address climate change among the initiative’s member states, so as to contribute to enhancing climate action and strengthen efforts to counter its negative impacts in our regional milieu. The region, as you know, is among the areas most affected by the consequences of climate change and its devastating effects on all levels. This has become tangibly clear over the past few years, which have witnessed severe climatic events in the region, ranging from wildfires, to floods and torrents, which left formidable human and material losses.

You may agree with me that voluntary initiatives to mobilize support for efforts to combat climate change have become one of the most important mechanisms for global climate action, particularly as it has become clear that in spite of the primary responsibility of states and governments in this effort, other non-state actors could and even should play complementary and supportive roles based on their responsibilities and the principle of cooperation and participation. Therefore, these initiatives are important as they allow all parties to coordinate their policies and efforts.

In fact, what distinguishes this initiative from other initiatives and efforts, is its scientific component, which is an indispensable element if we seek our efforts to combat climate change to be consistent with the best science available. This places us on the right path toward the implementation of the Paris Agreement goals, including the target of 1.5 ° C.

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. This includes the proposed Regional Action Plan, which I am confident will contribute to strengthening our joint efforts to address climate change in the region. I also look forward to hearing from the various experiences and expertise of the initiative's member states with regard to their efforts to address climate change at the national and regional levels.

I believe that we will emerge from today's discussion with a more profound understanding of the magnitude of the challenge our states are facing and the amount of efforts needed for us to counter it.

Thank you for listening