Cyprus is insisting that the President of the Republic participate on equal terms and without obstacles at next month’s COP31 climate summit in Antalya. Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Minister Christos Senekis set out the position on Monday as he arrived for the Environment Council in Luxembourg. He also stressed that the green transition must go hand in hand with safeguarding the competitiveness of the economy, and of shipping in particular.
Participation of the President at COP31
According to CNA, the minister placed the President’s participation at the centre of the Cypriot position ahead of the summit, linking it to European solidarity and international law.
“Ahead of COP31 next month in Antalya, we insist on the equal participation of the President of the Republic of Cyprus without obstacles, and on tangible European solidarity, with absolute respect for international law,” Mr Senekis stressed.
Funding and measures for biodiversity
On biodiversity, the minister called for “substantial funding and practical measures to protect the environment, without unnecessary bureaucracy.”
Revision of the Emissions Trading System
Turning to the revision of the Emissions Trading System (ETS), Mr Senekis noted that Cyprus “of course supports the green transition, while at the same time safeguarding the competitiveness of the economy, and specifically of our shipping sector.”
He said the country’s position is clear: “an ambitious environmental policy but with realism, with respect for the particularities of each country, and with significant European solidarity.”
