Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said on Monday that action to confront climate change is "inevitable" and cannot be postponed, as the climate crisis is now affecting everyone. Egypt has taken serious steps to implement a sustainable development model that aims to reach 50% of government-funded green projects by 2025 and 100% by 2030, he added. Al-Sisi made his remarks during his speech before the 26th session of the United Nations Summit of Heads of State and Government on Climate Change, which is being held on 1-2 November in Glasgow, the UK. "We are also working on the transition to clean transportation in Egypt, as well as establishing smart and sustainable cities. Egypt is also implementing projects to rationalise water uses and integrated coastal zone management," said Al-Sisi. The president further called on the developed countries to commit to their pledges towards the developing countries and must fulfill their pledge to provide $100bn annually for climate finance in developing countries. He also expressed concern over the gap between the available funding and the actual needs of developing countries. Meanwhile, Al-Sisi held several bilateral meetings with leaders of a number of countries on the sidelines of his participation in the 26th edition. The president's bilateral meetings included a meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and a meeting with Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in addition to Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah. Al-Sisi also met with President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in a meeting that addressed several bilateral issues. The two presidents expressed their satisfaction with the distinguished level reached by the bilateral relations between the two countries, whether at the level of coordination and political consultation, or at the level of economic cooperation. The economic cooperation between Egypt and the DRC has recently witnessed an unprecedented boom in the history of bilateral relations between the two countries. The Congolese president also thanked Al-Sisi for Egypt's continued support to his country at this important stage in its history, which represents a model for cooperation, coordination and mutual support among African countries, according to a statement from the presidency spokesperson Bassam Rady. Rady noted that Egypt's President praised the efforts made by the DRC during its presidency of the African Union in order to achieve the development aspirations of the African continent and to promote its issues and positions in international forums. Al-Sisi also hailed the DRC's appreciated endeavours to settle the crisis of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The president stressed Egypt's firm position and vision on the GERD issue, which is based on active engagement in the negotiations to reach a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam, under the umbrella of the African Union, in line with the presidential statement issued by the UN Security Council in this regard. Moreover, Al-Sisi also met with Mark Rutte, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands in a meeting that dealt with bilateral relations between the two countries particularly trade exchange, tourism and immigration, in addition to the existing cooperation in the field of water management. The two leaders agreed on the importance of strengthening the existing cooperation between the Suez Canal and the Port of Rotterdam, as well as enhancing tripartite cooperation between Egypt and the Netherlands in Africa.
