Ahsan Iqbal holds meeting with Egyptian counterpart Dr Hala El-Said

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Nov 17 (SABAH): Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Dr Ahsan Iqbal held a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Dr Hala El-Said on the sidelines of COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh and discussed matters of mutual interest.

The Egyptian minister remarked that it was one of the largest events in terms of participation compared to the previous conferences hosted by Egypt.

Ahsan Iqbal noted that climate threat had rapidly turned into a new reality. “It is not about North or South; it’s about us”, Ahsan Iqbal said.

The events induced by climate change were creating problems for developing countries. This is in the backdrop of rising inflation and global economic slowdown, highlighted the federal minister. He further said that in Pakistan the most heart-wrenching was that the most vulnerable segment of society (poor) were the worst affected by the recent floods.

The government is working on resilient recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction (4R) strategy to build better adaptability for mitigating impacts of future disasters.

Both the ministers discussed problems being faced by the developing world, and agreed to share expertise in resolving such problems while benefiting from each other’s experiences.