Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in the Turkish city of Antalya on Tuesday to take part in the Leaders' Summit of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Prime Minister's Office said.

The prime minister was welcomed at the airport by Turkiye's Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gokhan Yazgi, Pakistan's Ambassador-designate to Turkiye, Amna Baloch, and several senior Turkish officials.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan Peoples Party leader Senator Sherry Rehman and the prime minister's adviser Tariq Fatemi are accompanying Mr Sharif on the visit, which runs from 10 to 12 November.

Address to the summit on 11 November

Mr Sharif is scheduled to address the Leaders' Summit on Wednesday, 11 November, and to call on the international community to take practical measures to combat climate change, the Foreign Office said.

He will highlight Pakistan's steps towards rapid solarisation and the expansion of its renewable energy capacity, as part of the country's transition towards a cleaner and more resilient economy, along with its efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness and early-warning systems.

The prime minister will also call for predictable, adequate and accessible climate finance for developing countries, so they can strengthen their resilience and pursue sustainable development, the Foreign Office said.

Roundtable, clean energy dialogue and bilateral meetings

During the visit, Mr Sharif will attend a high-level roundtable convened by the COP31 presidency on the sidelines of the Leaders' Summit, and will hold bilateral meetings with the Turkish leadership and several other world leaders.

He is also scheduled to address the High-Level Dialogue on Clean Energy Transition and Electrification, titled "35 by 35: Powering the Future", and to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the summit.

A Pakistan Pavilion has been set up at the COP31 venue, where 54 events will be hosted on various themes during the conference.

Climate talks under way in Antalya

The COP31 climate talks, hosted by Turkiye in Antalya from 9 to 20 November, opened on Monday, with the UN chief urging world leaders to get serious about tackling the crisis after a year of devastating weather extremes.

According to the Foreign Office, the prime minister's participation in the COP31 Leaders' Summit reflects Pakistan's strong support for the global climate agenda and provides an opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to working closely with the international community to address the climate crisis.

Pakistan is among the countries most exposed to climate change, despite contributing only a small share of global emissions, and has repeatedly pressed richer nations to honour climate finance commitments.