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Qatar to host COP18/CMP8

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UNFCCC Secretary Christiana Figueres announced that Qatar will host the 18 Conference of Parties (COP18/CMP8). She made the announcement in Durban where the COP17/CMP7 is currently taking place. “It’s my pleasure to announce that after many months of negotiations at the highest level, COP18 will be hosted next year in Qatar.” Figueres said it was a tough decision to make as both Qatar and the Democratic Republic of South Korea were in the running to host the climate change talks. “The inter ministerial meeting will be held in Korea. This is a win win situation for both countries,” she added. Ambassador of Climate Change in Korea Son Sung-hwan said: “At the final stages of consultations I think the spirit of compromise won.” He said Korea will closely cooperate with Qatar to ensure COP18 success. Chair of the Asian Group Dr. Mohammed Salam-al-Saban said the decision for Qatar to host climate change talks was made by the Asian Group and no one else. “As you know Qatar will be hosting the COP18; it was fully the Asian group (of countries) that took the decision not anyone out of the Asian Group.” “In the Asian Group we all gave our hand to Qatar and we all said we`ll give the state of Qatar our full support.” Director of International Organisations and Conferences of the state of Qatar Yousef Bin Khalifa Abdullah Al-Sada said thanked Korea for the compromise reached and said Qatar would take every opportunity to ensure that COP18 is a success. Also present was current COP president and Minister of International Relations in South Africa Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and COP16/CMP6 president Patricia Spinosa.

– By Ayanda Kunene, Durban

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