Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to Saudi Arabia’s Middle East Green Initiative (MGI), saying the country was resolved to supporting all programmes aimed at securing the planet against climate change.

He made these remarks while addressing the MGI summit in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh on Tuesday.

“This is just the beginning. Pakistan is willing to provide assistance to all MGI member countries in sharing experiences and technical expertise on forest restoration in dryland areas and mangroves, management of protected areas, carbon stock assessment and establishment of forest monitoring systems,” PM Shehbaz said.

The premier said the objectives of the MGI were aligned with Pakistan’s national forest policy and the Green Pakistan Programme.

“We are focused on protecting, enhancing and managing our wildlife and ecosystem by 2030,” he added.

He commended the Saudi government for the initiative, saying that Pakistan had already exchanged full cooperation through exchange of knowledge and the provision of experts, calling the initiative a “step in the right direction”.

The prime minister emphasised that Pakistan was fully committed to the initiative’s broader objectives and looked forward to working in collaboration with member states.

In his speech, the premier also lauded Crown Prince Salman for his timely action and leadership.

“Nature based solutions are also the heart of my country’s ambitious climate action agenda.”

Taking to Twitter, the premier added that the MGI was a “pioneering ecosystem restoration initiative”. He added that Pakistan was keen to work with Saudi Arabia to address the impact of climate change.

PM meets Saudi crown prince

Earlier, PM Shehbaz met the Saudi crown prince and expressed confidence that the latter’s upcoming visit to Pakistan would promote bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the COP27 climate conference being held in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh. The two leaders reviewed bilateral relations with an eye on further enhancing ongoing cooperation in various fields.

“Looking forward to the upcoming visit of the Crown Prince to Pakistan, the prime minister said that he was confident that this visit would promote bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest,” the Prime Minister Office (PMO) said in a statement following the meeting.

Both sides expressed the determination to further strengthen the multilateral partnership between the two brotherly countries, the statement added.

During the meeting, the two leaders also discussed regional and global issues of mutual interest.

PM Shehbaz reiterated that Pakistan attached great importance to its ties with Saudi Arabia, which were deeply rooted in common faith, culture, values ​​and an eternal tradition of mutual support.

The prime minister also appreciated the hospitality and cooperation of Saudi Arabia for the two million Pakistanis working in the kingdom.

Referring to their recent meeting in Riyadh, the prime minister and the crown prince expressed satisfaction at growing high-level contacts.

PM Shehbaz particularly emphasised the importance of increasing trade, investment, development and people-to-people ties between the two countries.

Appreciating Saudi Arabia’s assistance to Pakistan’s flood-affected people, the prime minister said Pakistan was one of the countries most affected by the effects of climate change.

He expressed hope that COP27 would yield concrete results, especially in developing countries with regard to the financing of waste and damage caused by environmental causes.

PM Shehbaz appreciated the prince’s “Middle East Green Initiative” and assured the Saudi leadership of Pakistan’s full support.

The premier had visited the kingdom last month and held meetings with the Saudi leadership. Following his visit, PM Shehbaz stated the crown prince would soon be visiting Pakistan during which he would anno­unce a $10 billion investment for est­a­blishing an oil refinery in the country.