His Excellency Nooh Alhammadi, (Left), Director for East Asia and the Pacific (including Papua New Guinea) of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation receives a Sepik bilum from Papua New Guinea’s Ambassador to Belgium and the EU and Commissioner General for Expo2020, H E Ambassador Joshua Kalinoe. Ambassador Kalinoe is also the focal point for Papua New Guinea’s bilateral diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates.
Papua New Guinea and the United Arab Emirates have commenced initial dialogue at the senior diplomatic level to start translating the understanding reached at the political level between the PNG Minister for Forest Hon. Walter Schnaubelt and the UAE Minister for State for International Cooperation Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, into action.
Papua New Guinea’s Ambassador to Belgium and the EU who is also responsible for bilateral diplomatic matters with the UAE, H.E Mr. Joshua Kalinoe met with the Director responsible for East Asia and the Pacific, including Papua New Guinea, His Excellency Mr. Nooh Alhamadi and discussed the way forward to entering into a long-term partnership on environment and forest conservation and mitigation measures as well as on the financing and execution of renewable energy projects valued over USD 100m.
“The discussions were encouraging and there was a strong desire from both of us to commence putting the nuts and bolts to enter into a long-term partnership," said the Ambassador H.E Mr Joshua Kalinoe.
“It is in our collective interests and that of the world to conserve and protect the third largest rainforest in the world that acts as the clean lung with amazing and rich biodiversity".
“The UAE is one of the like minded leading nations that has and is willing to spend technical and financial resources towards conservation and mitigation measures to save planet earth from self-destruction and to achieve the global agenda of greenhouse emission reduction,” Ambassador Kalinoe said
He said the PNG Expo2020 Team’s strategy of anchoring the country’s sustainable development story under the sub-theme; ‘Connecting Minds and Creating Opportunities for Sustainable Development’ is working.
"Apart from showcasing our rich culture, the scenic geographical features and creating visibility (many people do not know where Papua New Guinea is) the idea is to economically benefit from the country’s rich natural resources by living in balance with the environment".
“Since the beginning of our Expo2020 journey three weeks ago, we have engaged with experts and stakeholders with innovative minds from Europe, North America and Asia to take our story of living in balance with the environment to the next level," said the Ambassador.
“That level is to enter into a conversation to find innovative commercial options to economically benefit from our resources without using destructive harvesting and extractive methods of production”, Ambassador Kalinoe said.
He said the PNG pavilion at the Expo is planning to facilitate these discussions by inviting experts to a round table in the coming months.
Article courtesy of PNG World Expo 2020
