Sheikh Abdullah witnesses launch of Global Biofuels Alliance at G20
- 09 Sep 2023
Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, witnessed the launch of the Global Biofuels Alliance at the G20 Summit in New Delhi.
The GBA is led by India and includes the UAE and several other countries. It aims to develop and promote the use of sustainable biofuels, which are fuels produced from biological sources such as plants and animals. Biofuels can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to efforts to achieve net zero emissions.
Sheikh Abdullah praised the launch of the GBA, calling it a “pioneering global initiative” that will support global efforts to promote clean energy and combat climate change. He also thanked India for its leading role in the G20 and its commitment to sustainable development.
The UAE top diplomat added that the UAE has always been committed to supporting India’s presidency of the G20, noting that the two countries are bound by long-standing relations, and their strategic partnership has helped them achieve many development goals.
Economic Corridor: The United Arab Emirates will work alongside the Governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Member States of the European Union, the Republic of India, and the United States on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
The announcement was made in the presence of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit held in New Delhi, India, where the UAE is participating as a guest of honour.
The establishment of the corridor aims to significantly enhance connectivity and integration between participating countries and will be comprised of two different pathways - the east corridor connecting India to the Arabian Gulf and the northern corridor connecting the Arabian Gulf to Europe. The cross-border ship-to-rail transit corridors will reduce shipping costs across the network and facilitate trade in goods and services to, from, and between the UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, and Europe.
Participants will also assess the potential of electricity and clean hydrogen exports to enhance regional supply chains and connectivity as part of joint efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions and integrate environmental conservation in the initiative.
The UAE’s cooperation on this initiative reflects the country’s efforts to strengthen its international partnerships and contribute towards a sustainable future, particularly in advance of its hosting of the upcoming COP28 climate conference in November.
Participants are looking forward to working together to establish coordinating bodies that will address a range of technical, financial, legal, and regulatory affairs. In the coming period, participants will also meet to advance the design and implementation of the transit network.
Multilateral cooperation: Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State, affirmed that the UAE’s participation in the G20 meetings underscores its firm commitment to advance multilateral cooperation and achieve international priorities in all sectors, within the framework of its sincere desire to actively participate in forums and meetings of international organizations.‘’UAE and India maintain strong, deep-rooted bilateral relations and the signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries in 2017 and the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement in 2022 came within the framework of the two countries’ keenness to strengthen relations and scale them to new heights,’’ Ahmed Al Sayegh told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the launch of the 18th Group of 20 (G20) Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi on Saturday.
With the support of India and the founding countries, Al Sayegh said the invitation of the UAE by India to the G20 Summit recognised the prominent UAE presence and its role at all levels, and the close strategic relations between the two friendly countries, noting to the UAE-India’s cooperation in regional organisations like the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), the I2U2 Group and the BRICS group, which the UAE joined recently.
On the importance of the UAE’s participation in the two-day summit, Al Sayegh stressed that the UAE is participating as a guest country for the second year in a row in the group’s meetings and summits, after its successful participation in the Indonesia Summit last year, and for the third time since 2020.
The UAE, he added, is committed as a guest country to engage with its international partners to promote economic growth and equitable development around the world.
He said that the UAE supports the agenda and strategy of the Republic of India during its hosting of the G20 summit, noting to the country’s participation in about 25 meetings held throughout the year, including the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting and Sherpa meeting.
He said the UAE’s participation in the G20 Summit this year is of special importance, as it coincides with the country’s hosting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in November at the Dubai Expo City, which provides an opportunity for greater alignment between the G20 agenda and COP28 through interplay between discussions and initiatives on climate action, the energy transition and financing for sustainable development.