Russia's president or PM may attend UN Climate Conference in Azerbaijan

Russian President Vladimir Putin or Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin may attend the upcoming UN climate conference, COP29, scheduled to take place in Baku from November 11 to 22.

This announcement was made by Ruslan Edelgeriev, the Russian presidential aide and special representative on climate issues, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Edelgeriev, who will lead the Russian delegation, expressed optimism about high-level representation at the conference.

"I head the Russian delegation by presidential decree. But this year, hopefully, either the president or the chairman of the government will be present. Azerbaijan is a strategically important partner, and I would like, of course, for the status to be higher," he stated.

He emphasized the importance of the opening ceremony, suggesting that the presence of either President Putin or Prime Minister Mishustin would enhance the significance of Russia's participation.

"Either the president or the head of the government should be at the opening ceremony, and then I would bring the main part of the negotiations to their logical conclusion," Edelgeriev noted.

The presence of such high-ranking officials at COP29 would signify the importance of Azerbaijan as a key partner in Russia's climate agenda and could enhance collaborative efforts in addressing climate change challenges on a global scale.

COP29, scheduled to take place in Azerbaijan in November, follows a decision made during the COP28 session in Dubai in December 2023. Baku is set to welcome between 70,000 to 80,000 international participants over two weeks. Established during the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the UNFCCC focuses on mitigating the effects of human activity on the climate. The COP meetings, attended by 198 member states, are the convention's decision-making body, with the first session held in Berlin in 1995.

As the world looks ahead to COP29, the focus will centre on fostering collaborative solutions to the global climate crisis, with particular emphasis on the role of human capital in promoting sustainable development and resilience.

By Khagan Isayev