Pakistan, South Korea discus climate change, science diplomacy

Pakistan held bilateral dialogue with the South Korea on Climate Change and Science to enhance cooperation and explore avenues to deal with climate crisis.

The first round of bilateral dialogue on Climate Change and Science was held between Pakistan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) in a virtual format on Thursday, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

The Pakistan side was led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Director General (United Nations).

The delegation of RoK was headed by the Director General (Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Scientific Affairs Bureau), Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ambassadors of Pakistan and RoK in the respective countries also attended the meeting.

The two sides, according to the statement, exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and explored avenues for enhancing bilateral cooperation and engagement in the fields of Climate Change and Science Diplomacy.

The discussions covered implementation of the Paris Agreement; the forthcoming Conference of Parties (COP-26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); and avenues for possible collaboration in Science, Technology and Innovation, it added.

While highlighting national priorities for the forthcoming COP-26, the Pakistan side stressed that climate change negotiations must be guided by the principles of Equity as well as ‘Common But differentiated Responsibilities’.

It was underscored that Pakistan remains fully committed to addressing climate change and had launched a number of key initiatives in that regard including the ‘Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Project’, Alternate and Renewable Energy Policy, and Electric Vehicle Policy, among others.

The RoK side, in addition to sharing its own vision and perspectives, also briefed the Pakistan delegation on the Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit scheduled to be held in Seoul later this year.

The two sides expressed the desire to establish a structured dialogue process on Climate Change and Science by holding periodic meetings at regular intervals, the communiqué concluded.