President Muizzu Calls for Reduced Financial Burden on Climate-Vulnerable Nations at COP Summit

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has said that, given the state of the world's financial system, the financial burden countries like the Maldives must bear to protect the environment is large, and that these matters need to be changed. The President said this while speaking at a meeting held on the sidelines of the COP Summit in connection with implementing the matters in the Paris Agreement. The President said that while the dangers posed to small island countries by climate change are becoming evident, work in connection with these matters has been ongoing in the Maldives for a number of years without interruption. However, the President noted that, due to the policies used by financial institutions in providing the financial assistance needed for the work required to protect the environment, the country's debt is growing excessively. "Development and climate [resilience] are two inseparable and intertwined efforts for small island countries that are developing. And they are not tasks that can be done alone," the President said. The President's remarks noted the importance of international assistance in efforts to escape the dangers posed by climate change. And the President also said that the level of climate risk faced by countries must be weighed, and that this must be given consideration in providing financial assistance. The President said that he welcomes the work being done under the "Bridge Initiative" to escape climate problems, and that there must be persistence in implementing the matters in the Paris Agreement.