Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou was travelling to Baku on Thursday to participate in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29).
Her visit follows that of President Nikos Christodoulides’, who took part in the heads of state summit at the conference on November 12.
There, he presented the positions and actions of the Republic of Cyprus relating to the impact of climate change, highlighting its regional role in promoting partnerships for climate action.
He emphasised that the need to urgently address climate change issues was particularly acute in the Mediterranean, which he described as increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events.
Christodoulides said that countries in the region, including Cyprus, “are facing heightened risks from rising temperatures, severe droughts, wildfires and destructive floods, most recently seen in Spain.”
He said such events directly impact local economies, natural ecosystems and the quality of life for communities.
Highlighting Cyprus’ experiences, he said the most recent climate-related incidents underline the need for immediate, targeted measures at national and regional levels.
Christodoulides acknowledged Cyprus’ relatively small carbon footprint but reiterated the island’s commitment to contributing to global emissions reductions. He also highlighted that Cyprus in 2020 pledged a 55 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
On Friday, the agriculture minister is scheduled to participate in a working group with other EU ministers, with the aim of coordinating and defining the final common positions of the EU on climate policy.
She will also participate in the closing ceremony of the conference, and is scheduled to return to Cyprus on Saturday.
Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their original owners.
