Ashgabat: Azerbaijani Ambassador to Turkmenistan Gismat Gozalov delivered a briefing on the main outcomes of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) held in Baku in November 2024 at the Eighth Coordination Meeting of the Development Partners Climate Group, APA reports.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the event was co-organized by the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Turkmenistan and the UN Mission in Turkmenistan, and attended by members of the diplomatic corps. Ambassador Gismat Gozalov highlighted the significant outcomes achieved at COP29, as well as pointed out Azerbaijan's efforts in international cooperation and climate change issues. He provided insights into Azerbaijan's climate policy priorities, initiatives implemented at regional and global levels, and opportunities for future cooperation.
Ambassador Gozalov emphasized that hosting COP29 in Azerbaijan in 2024 is a testament to the country's growing influence in the international arena under President Ilham Aliyev's leadership. He described COP29 as the most important event of 2024 for Azerbaijan, marking a continuation of the country's strategy for transitioning to a green economy, thus strengthening its leadership role in climate combat on an international scale.
The ambassador noted Azerbaijan's successful preparation for the global event, achieving its goals within just 10 months. During the World Leaders' Climate Action Summit held within COP29, 34 high-level events were conducted, alongside more than 100 events on various topics including ecology, finance, investment, energy, peace, science, technology, food security, urbanization, and gender equality. These events were co-organized by over 250 foreign partners. A total of 198 countries participated, including 80 heads of state and government, more than 200 international organizations, and up to 2,000 NGO representatives. Within COP29, 14 global and 7 regional initiatives were announced.
Gismat Gozalov emphasized a major decision at COP29 was establishing a new climate finance target of 1.3 trillion US dollars. 'In this context, the financial commitment of 100 billion dollars adopted in 2009 was tripled, aiming to reach at least 300 billion dollars by 2035 from developed countries. Additionally, there was a call for all parties to increase annual financial flows to developing countries for climate action from public and private sources to at least 1.3 trillion dollars,' he noted.
The ambassador also highlighted Azerbaijan's important role in global and regional cooperation on climate change. He stressed the significance of cooperation between Central Asian countries and the Turkic States Organization within COP29. Gismat Gozalov mentioned that a strategic partnership agreement in renewable energy was signed between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, and a project to transmit clean energy to Europe via the Caspian Sea will be implemented. New cooperation initiatives for Central Asian countries in climate and innovation were proposed under the SPECA and CAREC programs, and 'The Caspian House: A Platform of Environmental Organizations of the Caspian Countries' project was presented, with a memorandum signed within COP29.
The diplomat concluded by stating that Azerbaijan would continue its initiatives and efforts to further strengthen its position on climate issues during its COP29 Presidency. The briefing also included a video showcasing the achievements and chronological statistics of COP29.