President Ilham Aliyev receives Special Adviser to UN Secretary-General

Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, received Selwin Charles Hart, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition, Azernews reports.

Selwin Charles Hart conveyed greetings from UN Secretary-General António Guterres to the head of state.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed gratitude for the greetings and asked Selwin Charles Hart to extend his regards to António Guterres.

The Special Adviser mentioned that the UN Secretary-General intends to participate in COP29, which will be held in Azerbaijan.

The President of Azerbaijan expressed that he would be happy to see the UN Secretary-General at COP29.

The head of state emphasized that all necessary and essential tasks are underway according to plan in preparation for COP29. The President underlined that Azerbaijan is engaged in negotiations and consultations with international communities and institutions on substantive issues related to COP29.

President Ilham Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan's goal is to strengthen solidarity and collective action among countries on the issue of climate change. “All countries around the world, including Azerbaijan, have been exposed to the negative impacts and consequences of climate change. Thus, over the past seven years, Azerbaijan has experienced drought conditions, and the amount of rainfall has significantly decreased. While there has been an increase in rainfall this year, Azerbaijan still faces challenges overall due to the impact of climate change.”

The President also expressed serious concern over the observed decline in the water level of the Caspian Sea.

The head of state noted that Azerbaijan, with its positive example and green agenda, contributes to climate change processes and climate action. “Despite being a country that exports oil and gas, Azerbaijan demonstrates a successful development model by reinvesting the revenue from these industries into the country's growth.” President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan has set a green transition as a target, with significant green energy export potential being developed with involvement of international partners.

President Ilham Aliyev noted that a new project was recently launched with the joint participation of the Ministries of Energy and Economy of Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. This project aims to transfer renewable energy resources from Central Asia through the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan and then onward to Europe.

Selwin Charles Hart mentioned that the UN family had been mobilized by the Secretary-General to support Azerbaijan in the COP29 process, with a special working group established. He noted that a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) delegation would soon visit Azerbaijan, pointing out that the effective management of natural resource revenue and its use for socio-economic development in Azerbaijan sets a successful example. According to him, Azerbaijan's allocation of revenue toward the green energy agenda serves as an important role model. Selwin Charles Hart reiterated the UN's support for Azerbaijan in this process.