SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov 16 (Reuters) – Former Irish President Mary Robinson said on Wednesday she was concerned at the state of talks at the COP27 climate summit on planned measures to address loss and damage suffered by poorer countries as a result of climate change.

“There does seem to be a bit of a block in loss and damage. There isn’t an agreement, it would appear, across the board, on a fund here and now,” Robinson, who heads a group of prominent former world leaders known as the Elders.

She said China and Saudi Arabia were holding up talks.

“I’m also very worried about the fact that the Santiago Network negotiations last night came up with a real problem because China and Saudi Arabia – and I’m naming names… are trying to block technical assistance for loss and damage going to the most vulnerable countries,” she said

A spokesperson for the Saudi delegation to the talks declined to comment on Robinson’s remarks.

(Reporting by Simon Jessop; writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by William James and Frank Jack Daniel)