(MENAFN) Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on Thursday voiced strong disapproval of the United States’ decision not to dispatch a high-level delegation to the upcoming UN COP30 climate summit, scheduled for November 10–21 in Brazil.

"I regret that the United States is not there. I think the United States should have been around that table," Store stated in an interview with a news agency.

Despite his disappointment, Store emphasized that substantial progress could still be achieved without American participation. "It doesn't fall apart because the US isn't there.

The EU must take a bigger role, Norway must take a bigger role, and we must work with China," he remarked, underscoring the need for stronger collaboration among other major players.

He also referred to the United States’ earlier decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement as "negative." "Without the Paris Agreement, we would have been in a much more serious place," Store cautioned, pointing to the accord’s essential role in mitigating global climate risks.

The UN COP30 conference, to be held in Brazil, aims to transform previous climate commitments into practical measures while enhancing financial aid for nations most vulnerable to climate impacts.

This summit comes at a time when international tensions and trade conflicts are challenging joint efforts to combat the environmental crisis.

Taking place for the first time in the Amazon Basin, the event is projected to attract nearly 50,000 attendees to Belem, a city of 1.4 million people already facing considerable logistical challenges in preparation for the gathering.

To alleviate these pressures, Brazil has decided to organize the leaders’ session — known as the Belem Climate Summit — on Thursday and Friday, several days prior to the official COP30 deliberations.

This scheduling adjustment marks a departure from previous years, as world leaders typically participate at the beginning of COP negotiations.

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