SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (Reuters) – The Czech Republic is considering throwing its hat in the ring to host the U.N.’s COP29 climate summit in 2024, which would put it in contention with a handful of other countries for the massive international conference, its deputy environment minister told Reuters on Monday.

“In our consideration of possible hosting, we take into account both logistical and financial challenges for the host country, but also our experience with energy transformation and decarbonisation,” Jan Dusik said in written comments.

Dusik said the Czech Republic had not yet decided whether to bid, and would also consider making a joint bid with another country from eastern Europe.

Bulgaria has already said it is willing to host the global climate talks. Dusik said several countries from the region have expressed interest in hosting or co-hosting the event.

The annual COP meetings draw tens of thousands of delegates, and provide a setting where nearly all countries in the world negotiate joint efforts to avert disastrous climate change and assess their progress.

Hosting the U.N. climate event can bring a degree of international prestige and tourist income, but also intense media scrutiny, costs, and logistical problems.

The French-hosted COP in 2015 produced the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change, where countries agreed to attempt to limit global warming to 1.5 C above preindustrial levels. That accord has served as a guide for governments’ targets and policies to cut emissions since – although many still fall short of the agreement’s aims.

Rights to host the conference are meant to rotate between the United Nations’ five global regions. African host Egypt has this year’s COP27 conference, now underway. The United Arab Emirates has been selected to host COP28.

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