Doha: April 20 - HE Minister of Environment and Climate Change Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie stressed the State of Qatar's eagerness to enhance its bilateral relations in all fields with its regional and international surroundings, including the countries of the Arabian Gulf, along with Arab and Asian countries, particularly with regards to protecting the environment and countering the repercussions of climate change in a manner that promotes mutual benefit, cooperation, and complementary action with regards to sustainable development goals, in order to achieve common interests, meet aspirations of prosperity, and raise growth rates. His Excellency told Qatar News Agency on the occasion of the tour of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to the Republic of the Philippines, the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh, and Nepal that thanks to the wise leadership of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change succeeded in enhancing joint cooperatio n with regional and international partners, particularly those facing very similar environmental and climatic challenges, something that makes joint cooperation inevitable and compliments national plans dedicated to handling these issues. His Excellency said that the State of Qatar plays a strategic role in unifying counter-climate change and environmental sustainability enhancement efforts, adding that the Doha Declaration of the 16th Ministerial Meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue, held in Doha in 2019, highlighted the importance of regional cooperation as the main mechanism to accelerate achieving the three sustainable development pillars: social and economic developments and the protection of the environment, along with the Asian regions stability, in its diverse and vast natural and human resources, along with its rich historical heritage, and its economic and social capabilities. HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change said that the Doha Declaration stressed the importance of cooperatio n to counter the repercussions of climate change and natural disaster, as well as the need to take all sorts of appropriate measures to deal with water and food shortages in order to remove the obstacles hindering achieving food security and sustainability, in addition to supporting research and development activities related to green energy and agricultural technologies. Regarding the participation of the Republic of the Philippines, the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh, and Nepal in the Expo 2023 Doha, and that participations role in developing these countries cooperation and the exchange of expertise with the State of Qatar in the field of environmental protection and climate change mitigation, HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change said that Asian countries possess extensive expertise in various fields, including natural resource management, agriculture, and climate change adaptation and protecting the environment. His Excellency added that these countries have shared their expertise and experi ence in the Expo 2023 Doha, which then highlighted the shared challenges and facilitated the exchange of best practices and solutions, which then paved the way for enhanced bilateral cooperation between the State of Qatar and those participating countries, facilitating discussions on environmental administration and climate change adaption strategies. Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie underscored this cooperations significance in developing ties and raising sustainable development indices, especially through knowledge transfer among partners, and finding innovative, effective, and comprehensive solutions to common challenges. His Excellency said that the wise leadership attaches a lot of importance to the environment and climate change, setting them as issues that call for international action in order to prevent their catastrophic impacts on world populations. His Excellency added that the attention, insight, and visionary outlook of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani regarding the gr avity of these challenges, has made the wise leadership place them as matters for bilateral cooperation and partnership between the State of Qatar and world countries, especially those suffering from natural disasters, which cause floods, famine, and mass displacement, translating Qatar's commitment to solidarity and extending a helping hand to countries, peoples, and communities suffering from these crises. His Excellency pointed out that Qatar's contribution in this field is multifaceted, where it effectively participates in dialogue and initiatives prioritizing the environment and climate action, discusses framework for joint action on regional and global challenges, and enhances regional cooperation to ensure collective action for a more sustainable and resilient future. HE Minister of Environment and Climate Change Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie told QNA that Qatar actively participated in the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) , which was hosted by the United Arab Emirates, by establishing a special pavilion for the accompanying exhibition to introduce the international community to Qatar's efforts in issues related to climate change, sustainability, reducing emissions, and making use of modern technology, as the pavilion also hosted a number of seminars and dialogue sessions which highlighted the Qatari experience in combating the effects of climate change, protecting the environment, enhancing aspects of environmental sustainability, and discussing and proposing solutions aimed at reducing its impact on the environment. Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie stated that the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change is working on a wide range of additional environmental measures, projects, and programs, including: preserving the wild environment, by promoting interest in development of the meadows, replanting them, preventing encroachments and overgrazing, as well as preventing the dumping of waste and bulldozing the soi l, with cleaning and development campaigns with the participation of all segments of society, preserving the sea and the coast, preventing dredging, filling and marine pollution, protecting endangered animals, striving to multiply them and preserving their genetic imprint. His Excellency added that the joint environmental and climate action between Qatar and the countries of the region and the world is consistent in goals and vision with the plans and strategies launched by the Ministry (Qatar National Environment and Climate Change Strategy, and the National Climate Change Action Plan 2030), which laid out a clear road map for how the country can fulfill its obligations to mitigate the effects of climate change, pointing to the support that Qatar has provided to developing countries and international organizations to also help them confront the global phenomenon of climate change. HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change stated that these moves came within the environmental sustainability axis of the third national development strategy, which comes in implementation of the Qatar National Vision 2030 that placed environmental development among its four pillars, and the targeted goals of this pillar encouraged cooperation between Qatar and its surroundings, to adopt preventive standards that mitigate the negative effects of economic activities, and to play a pioneering role in the field of assessing and mitigating the negative effects of climate change around the world. HE Minister of Environment and Climate Change Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie, pointed out, at the conclusion of His Excellency's statement to QNA that the National Action Plan for Climate Change is considered a qualitative leap at the local level to confront the phenomenon of climate change. It includes more than 35 initiatives to reduce emissions, and more than 300 initiatives to adapt to its effects, ensuring that emissions and greenhouse gases are reduced by 25 percent from all sectors by the year 2030. Source: Qata r News Agency