UAE Chargé d’Affaires Ebraheem Al-Nuaimi handed Syrian President Bashar al-assad an official invitation from the UAE President to attend the conference in November….reports Asian Lite News
Syrian President Bashar al-assad received an official invitation from UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to attend the Climate Conference of the Parties (COP28), which will be held in Dubai.
President al-Assad received AbdulHakeem Ebraheem Al-Nuaimi, Chargé d’Affaires of the United Arab Emirates Embassy in Damascus, who handed him an official invitation to attend the conference, which will be held in Expo City Dubai from November 30 to December 12 .
During a preparatory Arab League meeting for the Economic and Social Council in Jeddah, Damascus has called on Arab countries to invest in the war-torn nation, now reinstated to the regional organisation.
“We invite you to participate in investing in Syria, where there are important opportunities and promising horizons,” Syria’s minister for economy and trade, Mohammed Samer al-Khalil, said as he addressed the opening session of the conference in Jeddah.
Recently, the Syrian Foreign Ministry announced the resumption of its diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia following a reciprocal move from the kingdom.
The decision to reopen the diplomatic mission emanates from the deep ties between both countries, their people’s aspirations, and the importance of enhancing bilateral relations between Arab countries to serve the joint Arab work, the Syrian ministry said in a statement.
The move came after Saudi Arabia announced the reopening of its diplomatic mission in Syria earlier on Tuesday, indicating that both countries have normalized relations.
On Sunday, Arab foreign ministers decided during a meeting in Cairo to re-admit Syria to the Arab League after 12 years of suspension.
On April 12, the Syrian Foreign Ministry announced that Damascus and Riyadh had agreed to resume consular services and air flights between the two countries after the minister visited Riyadh for the first time since 2011, a prelude to restoring full diplomatic representation on Tuesday.
COP28 preparations
The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment issued Decree No. (138) of 2023. This decree pertains to regulating the use and distribution of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in the country, aiming to control their circulation and prevent their emission into the atmosphere.
This decree is established within the context of the Year of Sustainability, aligning with the UAE’s preparations to host the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) this year.
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), often referred to as refrigerant gases, are classified among greenhouse gases that intensify global warming and affect the ozone layer. Hence, this decree is a significant step in the UAE’s endeavor to uphold its obligations towards climate change mitigation and curbing harmful emissions.
The regulations outlined in this decision are applicable across the UAE, encompassing all free zones and entities engaged in HFC-related activities. As per the decision, all such establishments must adhere to several procedures. These include registering with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, providing the establishment’s commercial or industrial license, obtaining a warehouse license, and reporting the annual quantities of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) imported over the past three years.
Moreover, they must secure a permit from the ministry to manufacture, import, export, re-export, or transit HFCs or recycled or reclaimed materials derived from HFCs, following all necessary approvals from local authorities.
The decree also stipulates that establishments must submit to the ministry quarterly reports detailing the quantities of hydrofluorocarbons sold, utilized, and remaining in stock. They also need to secure prior consent from the relevant authority when disposing of waste hydrofluorocarbons and equipment containing them. For transboundary disposals, establishments must adhere to the obligations of the signatory nations under the Basel Convention, which governs the control of cross-border movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal.
