Nepal expects more than 40 mountainous and littoral countries, from China to Russia to France, to attend its climate change summit, the country's foreign minister, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali told Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2019) Nepal expects more than 40 mountainous and littoral countries, from China to Russia to France, to attend its climate change summit, the country's foreign minister, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali told Sputnik."Nepal wants a global call, because Mount Everest and all the Himalayas are kind of barometers, they are instrument to judge upon the severe effect of climate change. Nepal will invite the mountain countries which are severely affected, but we are not the only victims. The coastal countries and the small island [ones] are more vulnerable. But there is a link between the mountains and the oceans," the minister said.
According to him, the aim of the forum is to "establish an ecological link" for a coordinated effort on climate change.
"Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Bhutan, Myanmar Bangladesh [are invited]. We will invite Maldives and other Pacific island countries, Mauritius, so that we can also bring their agendas. We will invite some European countries France, Poland, Austria, Norway, Finland, Russia, which are in the front line of climate agenda. Canada is also interested and some Latin American countries are also interested. I think participants from over 40 countries will be there," Gyawali continued.
The minister remarked that it would be the "first-ever event, which will discuss not only the issue of islands, but of the highlands as well a type of combination which wasn't given proper consideration, so it will offer some new proposals."
Gyawali said that Nepal was sensitive with regard to climate change as it provided a "negligible contribution" to greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, its snow capped mountains and low temperatures in their vicinity helped create a "regional air conditioning system."
