Denmark has selected the United Arab Emirates as its only partner in the Middle East for its Carbon Diplomacy, a top Danish diplomat told the Emirates News Agency, WAM
ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 07th Jan, 2020) Denmark has selected the United Arab Emirates as its only partner in the middle East for its Carbon Diplomacy, a top Danish diplomat told the Emirates news Agency, WAM.
"A significant aspect in bilateral relations is the importance Denmark attaches to the UAE with regard to cooperation in energy, environment and climate change," Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin, the Danish Ambassador to the UAE, said in an exclusive interview in Abu Dhabi.
Danish Embassy in Abu Dhabi is the only "frontrunner embassy" designated by Denmark in the Middle East for its ‘Carbon Diplomacy’, he revealed.
Denmark recently started ‘Carbon Diplomacy’ to forge international cooperation and partnerships to achieve its ambitious target of 70 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and designated its 15 embassies across the globe as ‘frontrunner embassies’ for this purpose, the ambassador explained.
Abu Dhabi Embassy was selected to enhance cooperation with the UAE for two reasons. "[Firstly], we see the UAE as a progressive oil and gas producing country, which is proactively looking at energy transformation and energy future.
"[Secondly] Abu Dhabi is hosting the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency, IRENA. Denmark is most proactive and progressive in renewables. Therefore, we want cooperation with the UAE and IRENA," the envoy said.
Denmark’s other frontrunner embassies in Carbon Diplomacy are in Beijing, Berlin, Hanoi, Jakarta, Mexico, Nairobi, New Delhi, Paris, Pretoria, Seoul, Tokyo, Washington, New York [UN Mission], and Brussels [EU Mission].
About the people-to-people relations, around 2500 Danish citizens living and working in the UAE help enhance the ties between both countries, the ambassador said.
On the economic front, about 175 Danish companies are operating in the UAE, mostly in sectors such as health [primarily dealing with pharmaceutical products], food, shipping, machinery and environmental technologies, he said.
The envoy who completed one year of his service in Abu Dhabi was very happy to witness very important "socioeconomic developments such as Pope’s visit and Year of Tolerance during the past year."
"The whole concept of ‘Year of Tolerance’ was a seminal idea in the country last year, which engaged with other countries in the world, including mine. That sent very positive signals. That is was very important thing," Melbin explained.
The Danish embassy has played an active role in cooperation between Nordic embassies [Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark] in the UAE and Dubai Women Establishment on promoting gender equality, he said.
A seminar on ‘women in the workspace’ was organised in December in Dubai with the participation of the Nordic Ambassadors and Mona Al Marri, Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office and Vice President of the Gender Balance Council, and other experts and business leaders from Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and the UAE.
"This is very important and we will continue these efforts," the envoy said.
