Vice President Faisal Naseem has concluded his trip to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, to attend the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27).

VP Naseem returned to Malé on Saturday.

He was accompanied on the trip by a high-level delegation of government officials.

During the trip, the Vice President attended the opening ceremony of COP27, where he delivered Maldives’ national statement and called for global solidarity in the face of climate change. He stated that despite Maldives’ negligible contributions to the causes of climate change, it would be impossible for Maldivians to respond effectively to them without global support.

The Vice President met with world leaders and high-level delegates during this trip. He also called on the developed world to recognize their contributions to climate change and take responsibility while speaking at the ‘Innovative Finance for Climate and Development’ high-level roundtable held as part of COP27.

VP Naseem also addressed the high-level roundtable on ‘Climate Change and Sustainability of Vulnerable Communities.’

The Vice President also gave a keynote at the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) and Vulnerable Group of 20 (V20) event held on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

During the visit, the Vice President met with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Professor Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, where the Grand Imam assured that he would offer the Maldives more short-term training, scholarship opportunities, and teachers.

He also met with the Maldivian student population at Al-Azhar University.