Azernews.Az

A delegation led by Yalchin Rafiyev, Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan and COP29 Lead Negotiator, has visited the United Mexican States, Azernews reports.

During the visit, meetings were held with Enrique Ochoa Martínez, Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights at Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Camila Zepeda, Mexico’s Chief Climate Negotiator; and representatives of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI), a prominent think tank in the country.

In discussions with Undersecretary Martínez, both sides acknowledged the productive cooperation between Azerbaijan and Mexico within international organizations and multilateral forums. Rafiyev provided an overview of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy priorities, efforts toward normalizing relations with Armenia, and upcoming events under Azerbaijan’s initiative and leadership in various multilateral settings.

The conversation also covered collaboration on climate change issues and exchanged perspectives on Azerbaijan’s role as COP29 President.

In meetings with Mexico’s Chief Climate Negotiator Zepeda, Azerbaijan’s notable accomplishments as COP29 President were recognized, and its effective leadership in the climate negotiations was appreciated.

At the COMEXI meeting, discussions focused on Azerbaijan’s expanding regional influence following the 2020 44-day Patriotic War, the new geopolitical landscape in the South Caucasus, the country’s diverse foreign policy, and its initiatives and activities within international organizations.

The progress and substance of Azerbaijan’s COP29 Presidency, as well as the negotiations conducted and achievements made to date, received high praise.

The 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, more commonly known as COP29, was the 29th United Nations Climate Change conference. Held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November 2024. Mukhtar Babayev presided, while Samir Nuriyev headed the Organising Committee.

COP29 aimed to implement further measures to limit global warming to 1.5°C, emphasizing the urgent need for investment in climate action.

The COP29 Presidency stressed the importance of operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund to support vulnerable communities, particularly in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), while calling for enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in line with 1.5°C targets and urging the submission of national NDCs by 2025, with a focus on fossil fuel phase-out, increasing renewable energy, and addressing non-carbon-dioxide emissions, such as methane.

On adaptation, the Presidency called for all countries to prepare and submit their National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) by 2025 and emphasized the need for scaling up adaptation finance. In addition, COP29 encouraged global financial institutions and the private sector to increase climate finance and foster investment in green innovation. The summit aimed to provide platforms to mobilize business participation and enhance transparency in investment decisions to support climate action.

The conference concluded with an agreement on plans for finance to mitigate the effects of climate change and help developing nations transition to more sustainable energy sources. Rules and a UN registry were agreed to facilitate and record international trading of carbon credits.