Azerbaijan, Norway discuss post-conflict challenges, climate goals at COP29

On November 16, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with Norwegian Minister of International Development Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, who is in Baku to participate in COP29.

The sides discussed opportunities for cooperation within the framework of Azerbaijan's chairmanship in COP29 and regional issues, Caliber.Az reports, citing the press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

Bayramov informed Tvinnereim about the COP29 chairmanship agenda, and Azerbaijan's initiatives in combating climate change and climate finance.

The Minister noted the importance of harmonizing the session's agenda on the first day of COP29 as a result of our country's efforts. It was emphasized that to date agreements have been reached on Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement, as well as on increasing the commitments of multilateral financial institutions on climate finance from $75 billion to $170 billion per year.

Bayramov told the guest about the situation in the region in the post-conflict period, Azerbaijan's peacekeeping efforts and the mine threat faced by the country.

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

A central focus of COP29 is the establishment of a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) for climate finance. To support this, the presidency of COP29 has introduced 14 key initiatives linking climate action to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These initiatives address areas such as green energy corridors, energy storage, climate resilience, clean hydrogen, methane reduction from organic waste, and the development of green digital technologies. One of the flagship proposals is the creation of a Climate Finance Action Fund, which aims to support the critical goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

Throughout COP29, Azerbaijan has demonstrated its strong commitment to climate action and environmental protection. The unanimous decision to elect Azerbaijan as the host for this summit highlights the global community's confidence in the country’s leadership on climate-related issues. In his opening remarks, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized Azerbaijan’s pivotal role in global climate efforts, reiterating the country’s dedication to mitigating climate change and advancing sustainable development.

By Khagan Isayev