Hungarian PM to attend COP29 in Azerbaijan

Hungary's ambassador to Azerbaijan Tamás Torma has said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is set to participate in the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29).

Torma made these remarks during a ceremonial event celebrating Hungary's National Day, commemorating the revolution of 1956, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

"Prime Minister Orbán will represent Hungary at COP29, marking his third visit to Azerbaijan in less than a year," Torma stated.

He emphasised Azerbaijan's impressive efforts in preparing for COP29, benefiting all participants. 

"Of course, Hungary fully supports the objectives of Azerbaijan's presidency, and we are confident that Azerbaijan will host a successful event," Torma added.

The ambassador noted that relations between Hungary and Azerbaijan have strengthened significantly over the past thirty years. Bilateral cooperation has rapidly expanded, encompassing not only interactions in a bilateral format but also participation in multilateral initiatives, including collaborative efforts within Turkic organisations.

The relationship between the two countries has evolved into an extended strategic alliance, yielding notable results. He also highlighted that this year, the Hungarian MVM Group secured an important deal to acquire five per cent of the Shah Deniz gas field, one of the biggest gas-condensate fields in the world. 

"Ties between Hungary and Azerbaijan will be further strengthened through the 'Green Energy Corridor' project—an initiative supported by Azerbaijan, Hungary, Georgia, and Romania, aimed at facilitating the supply of clean and environmentally friendly energy to Europe," Torma emphasised. 

The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) will be held in Azerbaijan this November. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary session in Dubai on December 11, 2023. During two weeks, Baku will become a global hub, welcoming around 70,000 to 80,000 international guests. 

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, aimed at preventing dangerous human interference with the climate system.  The abbreviation COP means "Conference of the Parties" and refers to the highest decision-making body responsible for overseeing the implementation of the UNFCCC.

The Convention has 198 member states. Unless otherwise decided by the parties, the COP is held annually. The first COP event was held in Berlin in March 1995, and its secretariat is based in Bonn.

By Naila Huseynova