Ex-French foreign minister's COP29 critique lacks credibility - Azerbaijani commentator

Former French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Bernard Kouchner has made baseless and misleading statements against Azerbaijan while discussing the upcoming Climate Conference (COP29) to be hosted in Baku from November 11 to 22, 2024.

"It is amazing how easily the ex-minister talks about something he has nothing to do with. Strangely, this was not realized by Le Monde, to which this monsieur voiced his thoughts," remarked Akpar Gasanov, the article's author.

Kouchner’s arguments, as quoted in Le Monde, warrant a closer examination.

He claimed that "at a time when France is immersed in political uncertainty, we should not lose sight of such major international events, as the environment is the priority of our governments. The choice of Azerbaijan as host of the COP29 should remind us of this while emphasizing that in this way, the international community seems to be confronted with its contradictions."

Gasanov criticizes Kouchner’s assertion that "the environment is the priority of our governments" as fundamentally flawed.

"First, nuclear power in France is an important element of the economy and second, ecology is the problem of our entire planet. It is impossible to monopolize environmental problems and the fight against them," the author argues.

The upcoming COP29 aims to establish a New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) to replace the annual commitment by wealthy nations to allocate $100 billion to support poorer countries in reducing emissions and protecting their societies from severe climate impacts, highlighting the global nature of environmental issues.

Kouchner’s comments further descend into controversy when he states, "not even a year after the ethnic cleansing of 120,000 Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, and Azerbaijan has already received the honor of hosting such an authoritative event as COP29," which Gasanov dismisses as "Armenian propaganda".

Regarding the allegation of "ethnic cleansing," Gasanov explains that "the Armenians illegally residing in the temporarily occupied territories of Azerbaijan had the opportunity to stay in Karabakh if they accepted Azerbaijani citizenship. They preferred to leave for Armenia, whose passport holders they are."

Gasanov concludes that Kouchner's statements are aimed at uninformed audiences and do not impact the preparations for COP29. "Azerbaijan is intensively preparing for COP29, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and numerous presidents and prime ministers expected to attend. Kouchner's remarks are ultimately inconsequential, though perhaps not without personal financial benefit for him."