Germany pledges assistance to Pacific states

Vuniniudrovo//Fiji (dpa) – Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has promised the Pacific Island states continuing support in the fight against the impacts of climate change. “The climate crisis is literally washing the ground out from under people’s feet here,” the minister said in Fiji. “The climate crisis is the greatest threat to the security of people in the Pacific Island states. It is not for nothing therefore that combating the climate crisis is at the centre of our strengthened bilateral cooperation.” 

According to the minister, it is not only about repairing damage caused by the consequences of global warming, including extreme weather events such as tropical storms, droughts or floods. She also talked about economic assistance and promoting the expansion of renewable energies.  

In total, Fiji comprises 330 islands in the South Pacific - like 13 other Pacific Island states it is particularly badly affected by climate change. Coastal regions are battling with rising sea levels. The country is the third and last stop for Baerbock on her one-week trip to the Indo-Pacific region. Before Fiji, she had visited Australia and New Zealand.