PM arrives in Dubai to attend COP28 summit

ISLAMABAD: After completing his two-day visit to Kuwait, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Wednesday reached Dubai to attend COP28 summit on climate change.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), UAE Minister for Justice Abdullah Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE, and the Pakistani diplomatic staff welcomed the prime minister at Dubai’s Al-Maktoum Airport.

The prime minister will head the Pakistani delegation at the 28th Conference of Parties and will attend the World Climate Action Summit on Dec 1 and 2.

Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, Finance Minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar, Federal Minister for Climate Change Ahmed Irfan Aslam and Energy Minister Muhammad Ali will also participate in the COP28.

“Despite its less than one per cent imprint in the global climate change factors, Pakistan is among the countries hugely affected by the changes,” the prime minister had said at a meeting he chaired before leaving for the UAE last week.

Mr Kakar was of the view that climate change was an issue of importance for countries like Pakistan and said the country was playing a positive role in the global climate debate through climate diplomacy.

“One-third of the country’s population is badly affected by the climate-induced floods,” he had said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Kakar concluded his two-day visit to Kuwait where he met top Kuwaiti leadership.

The prime minister and First Deputy Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Talal Al Khaled Al Ahmad Al Sabah, in a meeting, underlined the importance of historical brotherly ties between the two countries.

During a meeting, they reaffirmed the desire to strengthen fraternal ties by transforming them into a mutually rewarding economic partnership.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Syed Asim Munir was also present during the meeting.

The leaders also witnessed the signing of seven agreements to attract multi-billion-dollar investment from Kuwait in various sectors of Pakistan, including food security/agriculture, hydel power, water supplies (safe drinking water and mining activities), establishment of mining fund to support mineral industry, technology zones development and mangrove preservation.

In addition, three MoUs were signed in the fields of culture and art, environment and sustainable development.

The leaders expressed satisfaction at the trajectory of relations and agreed to further strengthen these relations between the two countries.

Mr Kakar termed the agreements with Kuwait another milestone in the achievements which the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) platform was bringing to the country.

The prime minister prayed for the good health of Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2023