Shoukry, Kerry discuss over phone Egypt-US coordination to counter climate change

CAIRO – Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, the president-designate of the 27th conference of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC-COP27), received a phone call from US Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry.

During the conversation, the two sides discussed current coordination between Egypt and the US in the field of facing the impact of climate change as well as other issues relevant to the international climate action.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez said Shoukry expressed his appreciation for the ongoing cooperation between the two countries over the issues of climate, clean energy and green transition.

He said Egypt is looking forward to a high-level US participation in COP27, to be held in Sharm El Sheikh in November, added the spokesman.

During their conversation according to MENA, Shoukry reviewed the outcome of his recent visit to the German city of Bonn earlier in the month for talks with a number of international officials, groups and parties concerned with climate action including civil society.

The meetings were held as part of the 56th sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) that took place in Bonn, Germany, on June 6 to 12.

The Egyptian top diplomat also underlined the importance that the positive political will of the various countries involved in talks would be reflected on the technical negotiations on various climate issues with the aim of boosting confidence among the various parties in the climate talks, the spokesman explained.

Hafez said that Shoukry asserted that Egypt attaches special priority to issues of coping with climate change including support for African states to help them ease the negative impacts of climate change as well as lessen losses inflicted on developing countries as a result if the climate crisis.

He also added that the Egyptian presidency is exerting strenuous efforts to back COP27 to bring closer viewpoints among the various parties on the floated issues to achieve the aspired for targets of the conference.