France and EU’s COP29 boycott backfires Epic fail in Azerbaijan

Caliber.Az, citing reliable sources, reports that France and the European Union attempted to orchestrate a diplomatic boycott of COP29 in Azerbaijan.

The "COP29 boycott operation" was carried out by Paris and Brussels simultaneously in two directions: within Europe itself and in African countries (where the French acted alone). Despite the diplomatic efforts exerted by France and EU bureaucrats, many leading European countries—such as Italy, Spain, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, and even Belgium—were represented in Baku at the level of heads of state and government. Not to mention the United Kingdom, which has always pursued a pragmatic and independent policy in the region.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had also planned to attend, but his participation was hindered by the sudden collapse of the coalition government. A phone call between Scholz and President Ilham Aliyev before the start of COP29 confirms that Scholz had intended to join the conference.

As mentioned earlier, due to its colonial past and ongoing strong ties with African countries, France sought to influence this group of nations, which are most vulnerable to climate change and economically weaker.

Specifically, Paris exerted diplomatic pressure on Nigeria and Togo to prevent their leaders from travelling to Baku. The President of Togo, however, attended the conference despite France's persuasion. Overall, the African presence at the climate conference in Baku was significant, as many African nations ignored the geopolitical ambitions of Paris and the EU.

France's and the EU's completely inappropriate behaviour, prioritizing their own unfulfilled geopolitical ambitions over global issues, revealed the level of obscurantism and near-fanatical tendencies within the ruling political elites in Paris and Brussels. Well, they aimed for a boycott, but the result was exactly the opposite.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev addressed the leaders of 80 countries, exposing the hypocritical policies of France and several other nations whose slogans and actions are in complete contradiction. Following Aliyev's speech, we witnessed a flurry of protest statements from official Paris, Brussels (EU), and Amsterdam. Well, they should have come to the conference to respond in person. And if they decided on a boycott, they should have committed to it fully.