ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam Tuesday said the recent visit of the Saudi delegation for experience sharing and to commence collaboration on the Middle East Green Initiative (MEGI) would unveil a new era of “green diplomacy” introduced by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Addressing a media briefing along with Saudi National Center for Vegetation Cover Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Khaled bin Abdullah Al-Abdulkader, Aslam welcomed the Saudi delegation and said the collaboration would open a new chapter of cordial ties between the two nations.
“This is the new Pakistan envisioned by the Prime Minister that has emerged during the times of Covid-19 pandemic with 5.37 percent GDP growth. The Economist has ranked Pakistan among the top three countries with the growing economy during the pandemic,” the minister observed.
In recognition of the successful attempt at nature conservation and ecosystem restoration efforts under the Billion Tree Tsunami Plantation initiative, Aslam said Pakistan was crowned Asia Forestry Champion by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
“Pakistan has been declared a model of forestry to be replicated by Asia,” Aslam said.
He mentioned the Saudi delegation has arrived to learn from Pakistan’s experience in forestry, adding: “They will visit our national parks, mangroves, and Ten Billion plantation sites across the country.”
On this occasion, he offered Al-Abdulkader that Pakistan wanted to offer its experience in forestry to chip in the ambitious MEGI. The so-called green collaboration between the countries was backed by strong green leaderships and the visions of Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman and Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Al-Abdulkader said he was glad to be in Pakistan to experience Islamabad’s “green initiatives”.
He said Saudi Arabia has launched a target of 10 billion trees across the country and 40 billion for the Middle East region under the Saudi Green Initiative.
“All these initiatives are for great collaboration between Saudi and Pakistan. Pakistan’s green initiatives are globally praised and we want to see it on the ground and visit the plantation sites of the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami project,” he said.
He mentioned Riyadh employed a vision to enhance its national parks and drive environmental conservation for sustainable human existence. “We have opened doors for the entire global community to collaborate in 40 billion trees plantation drive,” he said.
Al-Abdulkader said the focus of the plantation drive would be indigenous climate adaptable species since Saudi housed 2,600 such species.
Responding to media queries, Aslam said the visit was part of the technical group created after the memorandum of understanding (MoU) inked last year for collaboration under the Saudi Green Initiative.
“The Saudi delegation wants to study Pakistan’s on-ground initiatives whereas in the next phase a joint working group will be created to spearhead the partnership under the SGI,” he added.
Later, the minister presented a souvenir of Billion Tree Honey to the visiting delegation. “The honey is just as sweet as the brotherly Pakistan-Saudi ties,” he said.
