Azerbaijan committed to bridging gaps between global North and South President Aliyev at COP29

At the opening ceremony of the World Leaders Climate Action Summit at COP29 on November 12, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized Azerbaijan’s commitment to fostering understanding between developing and developed nations.

"As a President of COP29, Azerbaijan will do its best to find common understanding between developing and developed countries, between Global South and Global North," said President Aliyev, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

He also highlighted Azerbaijan’s achievements on the international stage, noting that the country had been honoured to chair key global institutions. "By unanimous decision of 120 countries, Azerbaijan successfully chaired the Non-Aligned Movement, the second largest international institution of the UN. By unanimous decision of almost 200 countries, Azerbaijan was honored to host COP29. This decision is a sign of respect to our country as well as appreciation of our active role in the international arena," the president stated.

Aliyev further underscored Azerbaijan’s geographical and strategic importance, calling it a country where "east and west, north and south meet." He stressed Azerbaijan’s ability to act as a bridge between diverse international actors in various sectors including politics, culture, energy, trade, and transportation.

"The mega projects initiated by Azerbaijan have already changed the energy and transportation maps of Eurasia and led to the establishment of fruitful multinational cooperation formats," Aliyev added. He pointed to the Black Sea-Caspian energy cable as an example of Azerbaijan’s active role in energy security, stating, “This will allow us to export green energy to Europe, and the technical potential of this cable—by the way, feasibility studies will be ready very soon—is close to four gigawatts. But again, this is only the beginning.”

Asserting Azerbaijan’s commitment to multilateralism and intercultural dialogue, President Aliyev remarked, "Azerbaijan is an active supporter of multilateralism. At the same time, we play an active role in intercultural dialogue." He also highlighted Azerbaijan’s state policy of multiculturalism, noting that the country’s diverse population lives in peace and harmony, regardless of ethnic or religious background.

Despite Azerbaijan’s history of conflict with Armenia, Aliyev expressed pride in his country’s resilience and growth. “Despite 30 years-long occupation by Armenia of almost 20% of the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan, despite ethnic cleansing and the deportation of 1 million Azerbaijanis from their ancestral lands, we managed to build a strong country with a self-sufficient economy and independent policy," he said.

The president reflected on Azerbaijan’s victory in the Second Karabakh War, stating, “Four years ago, we celebrated the historical victory in the Second Karabakh War. A year ago, we fully restored our sovereignty in accordance with the UN Charter, international law, and UN Security Council resolutions, which had remained on paper for 30 years. We implemented these resolutions ourselves and restored international law, justice, and put an end to the Armenian occupation.”

Aliyev also addressed the challenges Azerbaijan has faced since being named COP29 host, denouncing disinformation campaigns against the country. "Right after Azerbaijan was elected as the host country of COP29, we became the target of a coordinated, well-orchestrated campaign of slander and blackmail," he said. "Western fake news media, so-called independent NGOs, and some politicians seemed to be competing in spreading disinformation and false information about our country. To accuse us of having oil is the same as accusing us of having more than 250 sunny days a year in Baku."

In addition to this, the president highlighted the accusations made against Azerbaijan in the context of its energy partnership with Europe. "Two years ago, Azerbaijan and the European Commission signed a Declaration on strategic partnership in the field of energy. But it was not our idea. It was a proposal from the European Commission. The President of the European Commission came to Baku two years ago to sign this document with us. Because they needed our gas," said Aliyev.

Additionally, Aliyev called attention to the criticisms Azerbaijan has faced since being named COP29 host, describing them as part of a broader pattern of “double standards, the habit of lecturing other countries, and political hypocrisy,” which he said has become “a kind of modus operandi for some politicians, state-controlled NGOs, and fake news media in some Western countries.”

In closing, Aliyev addressed those who had advocated for a boycott of COP29. "My last message is for those who, for almost one year, have been advocating for a boycott. They used all the tools in their possession to launch a campaign to boycott COP29 in Baku. I have bad news for them. We have 72,000 registered participants from 196 countries. Among them are 80 presidents, vice-presidents, and prime ministers. So, the world has gathered in Baku, and we say to the world: Welcome to Azerbaijan," he declared.