First Minister COP 28 meetings with dignitaries: FOI release

Information requested

“First Minister, Mr Yousaf, reportedly had meetings with European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and acting Pakistani Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar during COP 28.

1. Is this information correct?

2. When did these meetings take place?

3. How long did the meetings last?

4. What was the agenda for these meetings?

5. Who else was present at these meetings?

6. Were notes taken or a minute recorded at these meetings?

7. What devolved issues were discussed at these meetings?

8. What matters reserved to U.K. parliament were discussed at these meetings.

9. Was a U.K. foreign office representative or civil servant present at any of these meetings?”

Response

The answer to your questions are:

1. Is this information correct?

Yes, however the engagements with European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, and acting Pakistani Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar were brush bys in the margins of other meetings and were not planned in advance.

2. When did these meetings take place?

1 December 2023, other than the engagement with acting Pakistani Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar which took place on the 2 December 2023.

3. How long did the meetings last?

All the brush-by meetings were around 5 minutes. The meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati was 15 minutes.

4. What was the agenda for these meetings?

N/A - these engagements were not planned in advance.

5. Who else was present at these meetings?

A Scottish Government Official was present at all the engagements alongside the First Minister.

6. Were notes taken or a minute recorded at these meetings?

Yes.

7. What devolved issues were discussed at these meetings?

Climate Change was discussed at these engagements.

8. What matters reserved to U.K. parliament were discussed at these meetings.

During the engagement with Lebanon, the topic of Gaza was raised.

9. Was a U.K. foreign office representative or civil servant present at any of these meetings?”

No for the engagements on the 1 December, as they were not official meetings planned in advance. A U.K. foreign office representative was present at the Pakistan brush-by on the 2 December.

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