Azerbaijan emerging as key platform for global dialogue, deputy FM says

Azerbaijan is increasingly positioning itself as a platform for major international dialogue, hosting a series of high-level global events that highlight its growing diplomatic role, Deputy Foreign Minister Yalchin Rafiyev said in an interview with AZERTAC.

Rafiyev noted that Azerbaijan has recently hosted and will continue to host several events of global importance. Last year, the country successfully organized the COP29 climate conference. In May this year, Baku will host the 13th session of the World Urban Forum. The capital city is also set to welcome the annual meeting of the Islamic Development Bank and a summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

According to Rafiyev, the growing number of international gatherings demonstrates that Azerbaijan is becoming one of the emerging centres of global diplomacy, particularly in the Eurasian region.

“These events not only bring together representatives from various countries, but also serve as an important platform for discussing issues of global importance,” he said.

“The selected topics are also global in nature. For example, within the framework of the Baku Global Forum, events were held on topics such as climate and urban development. These discussions are aimed at contributing to debates taking place at the global level in these areas,” Rafiyev added.

He noted that a recent event in Baku was attended by Murat Kurum, Türkiye’s Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and president of the upcoming COP31, as well as Samed Ağırbaş, Climate High-Level Champion for COP31.

According to Rafiyev, the visit aimed to familiarize Azerbaijani society—particularly representatives of non-governmental organizations and young people—with the vision for COP31 and to address their questions.

He emphasized that such engagements contribute to shaping the outcomes of future climate conferences and other international forums by broadening discussions and encouraging wider participation.

Speaking about cooperation between Azerbaijan and Türkiye within the COP process, Rafiyev said the two sides have maintained intensive coordination since the beginning of the year.

“Coordination meetings with the COP31 presidency in Istanbul have already been held twice. Strategies for the upcoming COP conferences have been discussed both with the Turkish COP31 presidency and with the current Brazilian COP presidency. There has been an exchange of views on ways to achieve success and on how we can work together in this direction,” he said.

Rafiyev added that Azerbaijan and Türkiye plan to continue close and intensive cooperation in the period ahead.

The deputy minister also noted that the Turkish side aims to ensure greater youth engagement during COP31, with plans to make the conference one of the largest in terms of youth participation.

By Vafa Guliyeva