Mediterranean countries sign climate change declaration after summer wildfires

Photo: AA/File

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Nine European countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea have agreed global action against climate change and to preserve the natural environment of the Mediterranean.

Referring to the fires that hit several South Mediterranean countries, Greece's PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis said at the EUMed9 summit that "This summer's catastrophic fires did not leave any Mediterranean country unscathed, while northern countries were hit by deadly floods."

From Spain's Andalusia to Turkey's south, the Mediterranean countries saw massive wildfires throughout the summer.

He added that Greece and its allies are working on building a stronger civil protection mechanism as well as protecting the forest and seas.

CLICK - 83,000 hectares of forests burned in Turkey's south and southwest in two weeks

In a declaration issued at the end of the meeting, the nine countries' leaders committed to implementation of the Paris Agreement to work to rein in climate change.

The leaders also discussed the recent crisis in Afghanistan and migration issues. Mitsotakis said: "We will not allow the recurrence of the phenomenon of uncontrolled migration flows that we experienced in 2015."

The participants also adopted a joint declaration on issues of political and humanitarian significance, referring to peace, security, and stability in the Mediterranean as a strategic priority of the EU.

The summit brought together the leaders of Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Greece, Greek Cyprus, Slovenia, and Croatia, as well as the Portuguese foreign minister and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. (TP/VK)