Azerbaijan's Leadership at COP29: Addressing Global Climate Challenges and Exposing Hypocrisy

The speech of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the opening ceremony of the COP29 Leaders' Summit in Baku delivered a series of well-reasoned messages to those who have chosen to remain passive or obstruct progress on global issues. As is well known, the goals set by the Paris Climate Agreement are under serious threat, and 2024 is expected to break new temperature records.

"Current policies are leading us toward global warming of 3 degrees. This will be a disaster for billions of people. Climate change is not a problem for the future; it is already here. COP29 is an opportunity to start a new chapter for everyone, which should not be missed," COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev stated at the opening ceremony of the conference.

His words underscored how critical the issues being discussed in Baku are. This agenda has been known for a long time, but it has often been overshadowed by short-term and sometimes selfish interests of certain forces, which have put their own agendas above the urgent challenges that affect the present and future of our planet. These forces have wasted valuable time, as noted by President Aliyev.

"My final message is for those circles that have been promoting the boycott of COP29 for almost a year. They have used all available resources to carry out a campaign against the conference in Baku. I have bad news for them: we have 72,000 registered participants from 196 countries. Among them are 80 presidents, vice presidents, and prime ministers. So, the world has gathered in Baku, and we are telling the world: 'Welcome to Azerbaijan!'" the President of Azerbaijan emphasized.

Indeed, the COP29 conference in Baku has attracted global attention, with leading international media covering the event. Meanwhile, the Armenian leadership, which decided not to send a representative to Baku, has shot itself in the foot. There is a paradoxical situation: Armenia, which had agreed to host COP29 in Baku and has professed its readiness for peace, is now missing the chance to take a real step toward peace by refusing to send a representative to the conference.

This is further evidence of the hypocrisy and insincerity of the Armenian government. However, Armenia is not alone in this regard.

"Two years ago, Azerbaijan and the European Commission signed an agreement on strategic partnership in the field of energy. But it wasn’t our idea—it was a proposal from the European Commission. Two years ago, the President of the European Commission came to Baku and signed the agreement with us because they needed our gas. They asked for our help," President Ilham Aliyev recalled.

In this context, it is worth noting that just days before COP29 began, the press secretary of the European Commission announced that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen would not attend the climate summit in Azerbaijan. This is despite the fact that she was initially scheduled to attend both as a delegate and as a speaker. What was the excuse? They claimed that the European Commission was in a "transitional stage" and that "the chairman would focus on his institutional responsibilities."

In reality, there is no transitional stage for von der Leyen. She did not assume a new position; she was re-elected for a new five-year term as President of the European Commission in July this year. A total of 401 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted for her candidacy in a secret ballot, with 284 voting against, 15 abstaining, and 7 votes declared invalid.

Naturally, her re-election imposed certain obligations on her, particularly toward those who re-elected her. In late October, the European Parliament adopted yet another anti-Azerbaijani resolution, calling on EU countries to reduce their dependence on Azerbaijani gas supplies.

Additionally, the MEPs urged von der Leyen to use the COP29 summit in Baku to put pressure on Azerbaijan over "human rights" issues. I put the phrase "human rights" in quotation marks because the European Parliament is demanding the release of leaders of the Karabakh junta, who are accused of committing serious crimes against our state. In no European country would such individuals be released under similar charges.

Faced with this dilemma, von der Leyen decided to avoid attending COP29 in Baku to avoid further complications. But in doing so, she exposed herself in a highly contradictory and hypocritical manner. Azerbaijan and the European Union signed a memorandum of understanding on strategic cooperation in the energy sector on July 18, 2022. This agreement was signed in Baku by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Yes, von der Leyen’s decision undermined her own signature, her own words of gratitude toward Azerbaijan for its role as a responsible and reliable partner in ensuring Europe's energy security. Has Azerbaijan lost from this? No. Our country has once again demonstrated that it can achieve even the most ambitious goals, regardless of the machinations of Armenia, the global Armenian diaspora, or certain circles in the West, for whom hypocrisy has become a trademark.