Ambassador Anne Legendre expresses her interest in “environmental protection” projects and announces her participation in “Environmental Diplomacy Day”
Dr. Al-Aqab: “Environmental Week” jointly organized by the Environment Society and the French Embassy next December
Dr. Wajdan Al-Aqab, President of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society, emphasized the depth of environmental relations between the Society and French civil society organizations and environmental and scientific institutions, noting the historical dimension that has united the Society with those organizations for years and decades, and pointing to the continuity and brilliance of the distinguished and comprehensive cooperation with many of those environmental bodies and institutions. This came during her reception of the French Ambassador to Kuwait, Anne-Claire Legendre, at the Society’s headquarters, in the presence of Janan Behzad, Secretary-General of the Society, and a delegation from the French Embassy.
Dr. Al-Aqab explained that Ambassador Ann Legendre, during the meeting, enjoyed the presentation given by the Secretary-General of the Society, Janan Behzad, regarding specialized environmental projects and programs, including the Green Schools Program, the scientific materials it offers annually, and the services the program provides to the teaching and administrative staff, as well as male and female students. She pointed out that the meeting also touched on the Society’s efforts to encourage students to specialize in academic environmental studies, adding, “The meeting also touched on the opinion poll campaign that the Society directs to establish environmental awareness and educational programs to measure the level of environmental awareness according to the needs of those concerned, including students and those interested in voluntary and community environmental issues. This is done in cooperation with various supporting bodies, and these are specialized opinion poll studies such as waste management, climate change, sustainable and green consumption of products, as well as identifying public opinion on desertification, the terrestrial environment, and other environmental issues of local, regional, and international interest.”.
During her meeting with the French Ambassador, Dr. Al-Aqab discussed the most prominent and important programs included in the visual environmental media that were broadcast on Kuwait TV and presented by the society in the past seasons over the course of 6 years, as well as this year as the seventh season. She added, “We presented short, specialized, easy-to-understand programs directed in Arabic and the Kuwaiti dialect and translated into English on Kuwait TV.” She noted that during the meeting, an agreement was reached on joint cooperation between the society and the French Embassy in organizing a “Kuwaiti-French Environmental Week” at the end of this year, which will include different categories of government agencies, the private sector, civil society, and research and scientific institutions to support national efforts on various topics related to climate change.
For her part, the French Ambassador to Kuwait, Anne-Claire Legendre, expressed her admiration for the society’s programs and plans, noting her interest in these programs, especially those that include topics from the local environment and present easy and accessible material in Arabic and the Kuwaiti dialect, translated into English. She praised the extent of the environmental roles and services it provides to its community in all age groups, especially young people, and looked forward to consolidating and strengthening more prospects for environmental cooperation between the society and French scientific and environmental organizations.
Ambassador Anne-Claire Legendre emphasized her interest in participating in the Diplomatic Day events, which are dedicated to raising awareness of the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflicts, “November 6,” which is organized annually by the society in cooperation with and with the participation of many Kuwaiti and Arab governmental bodies and civil organizations. She also expressed interest in participating in the joint “Environmental Week,” which is planned to be organized during next December and will be a virtual environmental event through online social media programs. Furthermore, she expressed support for the “Educational Garden of Native Plants,” which the society reviewed during the meeting and which is currently being implemented. She announced that appointments will be made for a group of fewer than 5 embassy staff members to visit the society.
In this context, Dr. Wajdan Al-Aqab, President of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society, indicated that she received a call from the French Embassy in Kuwait confirming that Ambassador Anne-Claire Legendre had contracted COVID-19. She added that the call came after her visit to the Society's headquarters and a meeting with the Society's President and Secretary-General to discuss some future scientific and environmental cooperation between the Society and the Embassy, which the Society will announce later.
Dr. Al-Aqab explained that the visit and its program took place amidst the strict precautionary measures that the society follows during its work, and which it has been keen on since the announcement of the Corona pandemic, following all precautions, adhering to physical distancing, wearing masks, and sterilization during meetings, and adopting frequent meetings through video applications. She revealed that the society carried out a sterilization process for the entire headquarters after the ambassador’s infection was confirmed, in accordance with health procedures, in addition to suspending the administrative work of the society’s employees on Thursday.
She confirmed that the necessary medical swab was taken from the head of the society, as she had been in contact with the French ambassador, and the result of the examination and swab came back negative. She added, “These promising results are a result of adhering to health requirements while performing our work at the Kuwait Environment Protection Society. We appreciate the transparency of Her Excellency the Ambassador and her application of the procedures, and her informing everyone she had been in contact with during the previous few days as soon as she received her positive result, out of concern for the safety of those she met, so that they could take the necessary measures to ensure their safety.” She announced that she had checked on the French Ambassador, Anne-Claire Legendre, confirming that her symptoms were mild, and wishing her a speedy recovery.
