French Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy Minister Segolene Royal arrived in Tehran on Saturday on a three-day visit to discuss environmental issues with top Iranian officials.
Royal, who is also the president of COP21 (the Paris Climate Conference), will lead a trade delegation to Iran. He is scheduled to hold a press conference on August 28 at the Department of Environment in West Tehran.
According to Majid Shafipour, director of the Center for International Affairs and Conventions at DOE, Royal and Massoumeh Ebtekar, Iran’s top environment chief, will discuss the implementation of environmental memoranda of understanding signed between the two countries earlier this year, ISNA reported.
The French minister will also meet Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian.
“Part of her job as COP21 president includes efforts to get parliaments to ratify the Paris Agreement, so her presence here is significant in this regard as well,” Shafipour said.
The government has submitted the Paris Agreement Bill to the Majlis for ratification. So far, only 22 countries have ratified the deal.
The French minister will also attend the Third Session of the Climate Change Workgroup, which will also be attended by President Hassan Rouhani’s ministers and vice presidents.
“France and the EU will help Iran curb its greenhouse gas emissions and meet its obligations under the Paris Agreement,” the official said.
Iran has pledged to cut its emissions by 4% relative to the business-as-usual scenario by 2030, while it has said it can slash its emissions by a further 8% if it receives international aid.
