TAXILA: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam has said after better diplomatic and bilateral relations with different friendly countries, Pakistan is now aiming to boost ‘green diplomacy’ with different countries.

Talking to newsmen here , the PM’s aide said Pakistan had actively evolved ‘green diplomacy’ with Saudi Arabia, Germany and the US.

He said that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to help Saudi Arabia plant 10 billion trees around the kingdom.

He was of the view that the green partnership between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia would further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries.

“Under the MoU, the focus will be on nine different areas of cooperation which include both green areas such as nature protection, biodiversity and forestation,” he added.

He revealed that plants grown in Pakistan would be shifted to Saudi Arabia in the next phase of cooperation.He said under this agreement for tree plantation in Saudi Arabia, Pakistani experts would chalk out the plan and even the labour would be evolved in the project which would open overseas employment opportunities for the Pakistani labour force.

He said that Pakistan has a joint working group with the United States for climate change.

“Although relations between the two countries are not so cordial on the diplomatic front both the countries are eagerly working on the environmental front,” he said.

He said the UK would provide a sum of 50 million euros while Germany 150 million euros to Pakistan in climate change assistanceunder multiple agreements.

He said Asian Development Bank (ADB) had also selected Pakistan along with other countries including Indonesia, Philippines, and Indonesia, to study the conversion of fossil fuel based energy plants to renewable energy.

He said the government had worked with the World Bank on different environmental issues, especially to get an estimation of blue carbon in the country.

He said Pakistan’s green vision was now being recognised throughout the world. He said that for the spring season from February to April of 2022, the Ministry has set a target of planting over 540 million trees under the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami programme to address environmental problems.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2022