Iraq skips Ethiopia summit over budget shortfall

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq missed a key climate conference in Ethiopia this week after the Finance Ministry failed to release funds, an official revealed Thursday.

Technical Department Director General Najla al-Waeli told Shafaq News that the Finance Ministry did not provide budget allocation for the Addis Ababa meetings, but Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has since allocated funds for Iraq's 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) delegation given climate policy's economic impact.

COP30 follows Climate Week 2025, which opened in Addis Ababa under UN climate convention sponsorship as a platform for discussing energy transition and climate financing.

"The negotiating team will attend COP30 to defend Iraq and its economy," al-Waeli added.