DUBAI, 12th May / WAM / Her Excellency Maryam bint Mohammed Al Muhairi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, participated in a series of meetings, bilateral meetings and discussion sessions that were organized in cooperation between the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and the UAE Embassy in Washington, with the aim of highlighting the importance of strengthening UAE-US relations and expanding Ways of cooperation in investment, food security, agricultural innovation, solutions to address climate change, and other vital cooperation files between the two countries, such as sustainable financing.
This came during her recent visit to the US capital to attend the “Agricultural Innovation for Climate” summit, which lasted for three days, and was attended by HE Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture of the United States of America, John Kerry, the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Affairs, and many ministers and representatives of many participating governmental and non-governmental organizations. In the Agricultural Innovation for Climate Initiative.
Her Excellency Maryam Al Muhairi participated in a discussion session with a group of representatives of the American-Emirati Business Council, representatives of vital American sectors operating in the fields of aviation, insurance, banking, entertainment sector companies, and various companies operating in the American agricultural and food sector, in addition to another session held in cooperation with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. CSIS”, as well as a series of related bilateral interviews.
In this regard, Her Excellency Maryam Al Muhairi said, “UAE-US relations are enjoying continuous development in various fields, especially food security, cooperation in combating climate change, investment, sustainable financing and other important areas, which represents an opportunity for us to expand this cooperation by strengthening our support for the summit.” Agricultural Innovation for the Climate, which has achieved great successes within two years since its inception, encourages countries to pledge to invest in agricultural innovations to enhance food security on the one hand, and reduce emissions resulting from all operations related to the agricultural sector on the other hand.
Her Excellency added, “This trend calls us to expand the scope of our cooperation with the American side by meeting many officials and agencies, discussing ways of cooperation with them, exchanging our experiences and visions, and benefiting from the latest relevant visions.. We thank the UAE Embassy for its cooperation in organizing many of these Meetings, and working with us to achieve all our common goals in strengthening the position of the UAE as a reliable partner in finding solutions to various global challenges.
For his part, His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the United States of America, said, “Climate change greatly affects how our food is grown and produced.. The UAE, in cooperation with the United States of America, is leading global efforts to meet this challenge, and we are mobilizing governments, the private sector, and civil society to enhance food security.” and make agriculture and food production more friendly to the planet.”
The UAE Embassy in Washington DC organized a discussion session that brought together Her Excellency Maryam Al Muhairi with a group of representatives of the US-UAE Business Council, various vital American sectors operating in the fields of aviation, insurance, banking, entertainment sector companies, and various companies operating in the US agricultural and food sector.
Her Excellency reviewed the investment potential of the UAE, the ease of doing business, and the volume of mutual investment between the UAE and the United States, especially in the food sector.
Her Excellency exchanged visions about the investment scene in the two countries and the areas through which progress can be made at the level of investments and sustainable financing during the coming period.
During the session, Al Muhairi encouraged an increase in US investments in the UAE and highlighted the opportunities that the country offers to business in the field of technology and agricultural innovations in particular, as a result of the challenges the country faces from water scarcity and lack of agricultural land.
She explained that the field of modern agricultural technology is one of the most vital directions for attracting foreign investments to the UAE to enhance its food security and the application of agricultural and food technologies that reduce the carbon footprint of the sector to contribute to the UAE’s fulfillment of its climate commitments.
Her Excellency also participated in a special session organized by the UAE Embassy in Washington in cooperation with the Center for Strategic and International Studies “CSIS”, which included a group of policy experts in the field of food security.
Her Excellency indicated the UAE’s keenness to enhance dialogue and cooperation on climate change and food security, within the framework of its international commitment in this regard, especially with the country’s preparations to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 next November.
Her Excellency highlighted the UAE’s commitment to sustainable development and climate action, pointing to the UAE’s pioneering initiatives in this regard, such as the National Food Security Strategy 2051, the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, and the UAE’s Nationally Determined Contributions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Climate, as part of the UAE’s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement, and other policies that ensure achieving the goals of reducing emissions within the climate neutrality strategy by 2050, promoting biodiversity, and the most important regulations that regulate the operations of various economic sectors and ensure their application of environmental and climate standards in the country.
She stressed that the UAE aspires to assume a leading global position in the field of food security based on innovation by 2051, stressing the importance of facilitating agricultural trade globally, diversifying international food sources, and enhancing local supplies of sustainable food based on technology.
Al-Muhairi participated in a number of bilateral meetings with a number of officials and dignitaries, which focused on how to enhance cooperation in agricultural innovation, enhance food security and its role in facing climate change, and other areas such as investment and financing.
The discussions included a private meeting with Her Excellency and John Kerry, another meeting with Ari Fowler, the US Special Envoy for Food Security, in addition to a bilateral meeting with Ambassador Catherine Tye, US Trade Representative, and a meeting with US Senator Michael Bennett. Her Excellency concluded with a private meeting with Senator Jay Costa.
