Armenia's participation in COP29 or absence has no impact whatsoever Azerbaijani president’s aide says

Assistant of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev has said that as a party to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Azerbaijan had sent invitations to all party countries of the Convention, including Armenia and France.

“Almost all members of the Convention are in Baku. When looking at the COP29 venue and observing the vibrant atmosphere and discussions underway between representatives of states and civil society organizations, we can once again witness that the world is in Azerbaijan today. More than 75,000 participants are registered for COP29. Therefore, whether Armenia is present or not doesn’t impact us,” he said, Caliber.Az reports via local media. 

In the statement, Hajiyev also commented on whether Armenia is serious about climate change and climate transformation.

He noted that the report prepared by the UN Environment Programme on the negative effects of climate change on the South Caucasus, before the start of COP29, mentions trends such as the melting of glaciers in the region’s mountains, the lowering of the Caspian Sea level, and the reduction of precipitation.

“We believed that Armenia’s participation in COP29 could have been a useful opportunity for discussing cooperation in the South Caucasus, including important climate change issues. But Armenia's absence from the session shows that its position regarding COP is nothing more than feeble propaganda and that this country is not at all serious about the issue. With the participation and support of Armenia’s state bodies, a number of ugly propaganda campaigns have been conducted against Azerbaijan. This is Armenia’s position,” Hajiyev said.  

Hajiyev also added that it is incomprehensible that France, a country that claims to be ready for open dialogue and criticism, took the position of an offended state instead of engaging in constructive dialogue and discussion at COP29.

He noted that small island states in the middle of the ocean are facing an existential threat due to climate change. The overseas regions of France and the Netherlands are essentially geographical areas belonging to the category of small island states. Since they do not have their own administration and are still managed as overseas regions, representatives of these territories cannot raise their voices regarding climate problems.

“If we accept that the climate problem is a global one, it is necessary to act on the principle of inclusion and give each party the opportunity to raise their issues. This would be normal. However, unfortunately, France, which always talks about inclusiveness and encourages constructive criticism, took a resentful position after facing criticism, tried to withdraw, and added a political coloring to the process. This is a UN event. Each state has the right to participate or not to participate in it. Therefore, this is France's own decision,” Hajiyev added. 

COP29, which is being held at Baku Stadium from November 11-22, is Azerbaijan’s most significant international event to date and the first time the country has hosted a COP conference. The summit kicked off with the signing of the Host Country Agreement and other key documents between the Azerbaijani government and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat.

One of the central goals of COP29 is the establishment of a New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) for climate finance. To further this aim, the COP29 presidency has introduced 14 key initiatives designed to integrate climate action with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These initiatives cover a broad spectrum of critical areas, including the development of green energy corridors, energy storage solutions, climate resilience strategies, clean hydrogen, methane reduction from organic waste, and the promotion of green digital technologies. A flagship proposal of the conference is the creation of the Climate Finance Action Fund, which is aimed at supporting efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

Throughout the event, Azerbaijan has continued to reaffirm its strong commitment to addressing climate change and promoting environmental protection. The unanimous decision to select Azerbaijan as the host for COP29 reflects the global community’s trust in the country’s leadership on climate-related issues. In his opening remarks, President Ilham Aliyev underscored Azerbaijan’s central role in global climate efforts, emphasizing the nation’s dedication to tackling climate change and advancing sustainable development.

By Naila Huseynova