Turkish professor says Azerbaijan's hosting COP29 essential for ensuring global peace

Azerbaijan's initiative to organise the COP29 Climate Change Conference will contribute to resolving conflicts and reducing confrontation around the world.

The statement was made by Chairman of the Marmara Group Strategic and Social Research Foundation, Prof Mehmet Akkan Suver, during the Baku Global Summit of Religious Leaders on November 6, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

Suver noted that in addition to the social problems caused by wars on Earth, climate problems also portend additional catastrophe.

“Under these circumstances, COP29, which will be held in Baku, is very important in terms of discussing these problems. We see this event as an opportunity for a bright future for humanity. I believe that this initiative of Azerbaijan will also contribute to reducing chaos and confrontation around the world. Baku's call will play a huge role in ensuring international peace. The meeting of religious leaders in Baku is also a great contribution to this initiative,” he noted.

Notably, the Global Summit of Religious Leaders, themed “World Religions for a Green Planet,” is underway in Baku as part of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Initiated and supported by President Ilham Aliyev, the summit is co-organized by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the State Committee on Work with Religious Institutions, the Muslim Council of Elders, the Caucasus Muslims Office, and the United Nations Environment Programme.

The two-day summit brings together nearly 30 leaders from world and traditional religions, heads of prominent religious centres, including patriarchs, officials from the Vatican and Al-Azhar, and notable religious and public figures from various continents and faiths. Representatives from 55 countries and 30 international organizations are attending, including state, academic, religious figures, and media representatives.

The summit participants will also visit the Azerbaijani liberated territories on November 7 to familiarize themselves with the Azerbaijani realities, including the acts of ecocide, urbicide and culturcide committed by Armenia in these areas.

By Khagan Isayev