The State of Qatar participated in the Green Development Forum of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which concluded Tuesday in Qingdao, China, with a delegation headed by HE Minister of Environment and Climate Change Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie. HE the Minister of Environment and Climate Change delivered the State of Qatar's speech at the two-day forum, during which he emphasized the great importance that Qatar attaches to green development and harmonizing economic and social growth with the preservation of the environment and natural resources, which is reflected in the Qatar National Vision 2030, which is based on four basic pillars include "environmental development," which always seeks to achieve synergy between economic expansion and environmental preservation. He pointed to Qatar's recent launch of the third national development strategy (2024-2030), which serves as the main catalyst in advancing the country's economic diversification while ensuring environmental sustainab ility. His Excellency highlighted that ensuring energy security remains a fundamental global obstacle to development and that Qatar, as a leading global supplier of natural gas, enjoys a distinguished position that qualifies it to assume a major role in global green development and the transition towards a low-carbon future. Qatar also launched the National Renewable Energy Strategy, which aligns with its commitment to a greener and more prosperous future. HE Dr. Al Subaie indicated that the issuance of Green Sukuk was recently announced, which is considered the first of its kind in the region and represents the entry of the State of Qatar into a new phase of financing environmentally friendly projects, and its focus on achieving a balance between human needs and preserving the environment. He noted Qatars announcement of the ESG and Sustainability Strategy for the Financial Sector, which aims to enhance the efficiency of the financial system in supporting national sustainability goals. On the sidelines of his participation in the forum, HE Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie met with a number of ministers and international officials, including HE Minister of State for Climate Change, Environment and Energy of the Republic of Maldives Mohamed Rasheed, HE Minister of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China Huang Runqiu, HE Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus Ivan Prykhodzka. His Excellency also met separately with HE Secretary-General of the SCO Zhang Ming, HE Vice-President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Head of Iran's Environmental Protection Organization Ali Salajegheh, HE Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan Aziz Abdukhakimov, and HE Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerlan Nyssanbayev. The meetings discussed a number of issues, most notably supporting joint efforts to address climate challenges, and enhancing cooperation between all parties to preserve the environment and biodiversity. Source: Qatar News Agency