Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad met with her Senegalese counterpart, Abdo Karim Selim — who is a Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development — to discuss ways to mobilize distinguished African participation in the COP27 that will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh this November.
This came on the side-lines of Fouad’s participation in the 18th session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in Dakar, Senegal.
During the meeting, Fouad stressed that Egypt is exerting unremitting efforts to ensure the upcoming UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27) has a distinctive character and is successful on all levels, adding that the government is working to transform Sharm El-Sheikh into a green city ahead of the event.
Transforming Sharm El-Sheikh into a green city includes establishing electric means of transportation, advanced waste management systems, hotels obtaining green stars, and the expansion of solar energy units to advance an African model of a just transition.
Fouad also pointed to Egypt’s keenness to listen to all African views and visions and the hopes and aspirations of African brothers for the results and outcomes of the conference to be considered.
Moreover, she expressed her aspiration for a high-level participation from Senegal in the conference, which requires a large participation at the level of the African political leadership to speak on behalf of its citizens.
Additionally, she called for a distinguished African participation in the preparatory meeting of the climate conference in October as a starting point for discussions.
For his part, Selim praised Egypt’s efforts in preparing for the COP27, affirming Senegal’s support for the conference at the highest level, especially in light of the Senegalese president assuming the presidency of the African Union.