The circus has started at the 18th Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP18) underway in Doha, after some of the countries are accusing host nation Qatar of having a “hidden agenda”.
Reports from meetings say that Qatar planned to start a ministerial-level closed door meeting at the ongoing UN climate negotiations but outside the formal schedule.
But this was dismissed by COP18 president, Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah, who said they are transparent in their dealings and have no intention of using underhand tactics to get favours.
“I have no clue as to why such reports have come in the first place, when they don’t have any evidence. We work very openly, we have worked closely with all parties concerned, especially with India and China,” Hamad al-Attiyah said in an interview.
He made is clear that Qatar has “no hidden agenda” in the ongoing UN climate talks an issue raised by China and India.
Doha is a close ally of the United States of America and this made some delegates to believe that this oil rich nation might be used to further American interest.
“We have no hidden agenda, we never work behind the scene we work transparently. We always talk to all participants, we always get everyone involved in the talks,” He said.
He added that he meet people from the developed to developing and least developed countries. “That has been our mission. It is not our strategy to have a hidden agenda. We don’t operate that way and we believe in doing business above board. We don’t get involved in secret talks,” al-Attiyah said at a press conference on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference at the Qatar National Convention Centre yesterday.
He said he had travelled worldwide and met with several ministers and discussed the conference with them.
“It is not my style getting into secret meeting and talks. In all my life and throughout my career, I have said only what I believed in. I dismiss reports doing rounds that Qatar is leading secret talks with the contempt they deserve,” he said.
He said as the current president Qatar will remain transparent. We are not working behind the scene we work openly with everyone. At the end of the day, I have to work and produce a text that everyone should agree.””
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