Azerbaijani FM, UN chief discuss COP29 preparations, post-conflict regional realities UPDATED

On September 28, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

During the meeting, discussions focused on the current cooperation agenda between Azerbaijan and the UN, preparations for Azerbaijan's hosting of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), and the post-conflict situation in the region, Caliber.Az reports, citing Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry.

Minister Bayramov expressed Azerbaijan’s high regard for its collaboration with the UN and its specialized agencies, underscoring that active cooperation with the organization, especially in the context of COP29, plays a crucial role in Azerbaijan’s successful presidency of the conference.

He briefed Guterres on the priority areas and initiatives under Azerbaijan’s COP29 presidency, highlighting ongoing efforts, particularly concerning the negotiation of a New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance.

Detailed information was also provided regarding the current post-conflict realities in the region, including reconstruction efforts aimed at the dignified return of former internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their homes. Bayramov also discussed the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, ongoing bilateral negotiations, and key challenges in the peace treaty discussions.

Bayramov emphasized that, despite progress in bilateral talks, Armenia’s territorial claims against Azerbaijan, as reflected in its Constitution and other legal frameworks, remain a significant obstacle to achieving lasting peace.

The meeting also included an exchange of views on new areas of cooperation and other matters of mutual interest.

10:03, September 29

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has discussed with UN Secretary General António Guterres the negotiations on a peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan, according to Spokesman for UN secretary-general.

According to him, the sides discussed cooperation with Azerbaijan in the context of its chairmanship of COP29, including the finalization of a new climate finance target, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

The spokesman added that during the conversation the sides also exchanged views on the progress of negotiations on the peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan, as well as on the issues of framing.

One major obstacle to finalizing the peace treaty is Armenia's Constitution which has references to the Declaration of Independence posing territorial claims against Azerbaijan as it endorses the unification of Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region with Armenia.

In June, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted that a peace treaty with Azerbaijan was nearing completion but stressed that Armenia would not agree to Azerbaijan’s demand for a constitutional change. On July 5, Constitution Day in Armenia, Pashinyan emphasized the need for a new constitution that reflects the will and vision of the Armenian people.

By Khagan Isayev