El Sisi says Egypt is interested in hosting Cop27 next year

The Egyptian president aims to represent Africa in climate talks

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said if Egypt were to host Cop27 next year it would be 'a radical turning point in international climate efforts'. AP

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi declared his country's interest in hosting the UN's Cop27 summit next year.

The offer for the climate change conference was made on behalf of the African continent, Mr El Sisi said.

It would be "a radical turning point in international climate efforts in co-ordination with all parties, for the benefit of Africa and the entire world", Reuters quoted him as saying on Monday.

US climate envoy John Kerry had earlier welcomed the UAE’s offer to host the Cop28 in 2023.

"I personally can see strong arguments for the UAE’s candidacy," he said. "You know it’s not my decision alone or ours alone, at all, but the UAE is obviously a very strong contender for that."

Mr Kerry visited Abu Dhabi in June for talks that focused on using climate change action to drive regional and global growth.

This year's conference, Cop26, will be hosted by the UK in Glasgow in November.

In an interview with The National on Monday, Alok Sharma, the president of Cop26, said climate change was “the biggest security risk for the world”, but it had the potential to bring peace to warring countries.

“This is an opportunity for countries to reimagine their economies,” Mr Sharma said.