Climate change and geopolitics collide at COP29

Azeri leader Ilham Aliyev is fueling a geopolitical grudge against France by issuing a pledge to fund the participation of small island developing states, some of which have French connections, at the upcoming COP29 environmental conclave.

Azerbaijan’s financial assistance would cover airfare, accommodation and per diem for up to four delegates for each island state participating in COP29, which will be held in Baku in November. The offer of assistance comes months after Aliyev proposed the establishment of a special fund to help small island states address the effects of climate change.

Azerbaijani officials describe the initiative in altruistic terms, motivated by a desire to “amplify the voices” of nations most affected by global warming and rising ocean levels.

“We will not have an inclusive process (at COP29) if we do not take all measures to ensure the participation of frontline communities,” said Azerbaijan’s Ecology Minister Mukhtar Babayev, who is also the president-designate of the annual UN environment conference. “We need these insights and experiences to guide our approach and to believe strongly in our moral duty to support these nations.”

Some observers see a more cynical purpose in packing COP29 with representatives of small island nations — a desire on Aliyev’s part to get under the skin of French President Emmanuel Macron. The two leaders have been embroiled in a more than year-long feud over the aftermath of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which ended with Azerbaijan’s decisive defeat of Armenian forces and Baku’s recapture of the territory.

France was a STANDING supporter of Armenia, amid Yerevan’s efforts to negotiate a lasting peace deal with Azerbaijan, which angers Aliyev. In turn, the Aliyev administration antagonized the French leadership, accusing France of “neo-colonial” behavior in the Pacific region. In late spring this year, Paris accused Baku of stoking separatist sentiment in the French Pacific dependency. New Caledoniaafter previously recalling the French envoy to Azerbaijan. The initiative to finance a robust presence of the island at COP29 can be seen as an extension of Azerbaijan’s antagonism towards France. Aliyev said COP29 will “underline” the need to protect island states from the consequences of global warming.

In August, Babayev attended a meeting hosted by the island nation of Tonga, during which participants from 56 countries, including 33 island states, signed a memorandum “aimed at improving climate action” beneficial to the signatories. Azerbaijan announced at the end of September a contribution of 10 million dollars of the group joint efforts to promote “climate resilience, improve disaster preparedness and support sustainable development”.

The recent session of the UN General Assembly in New York witnessed a new round of French-Azerbaijani verbal battles. Macron reiterated strong support for Armenia, saying that “the international community must be there to ensure that the (Armenia-Azerbaijan) peace negotiations are successful and that internationally recognized borders are preserved.” Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry described the French position on the peace process as “unconstructive”. Meanwhile, Babayev promoted the environmental cause of small island states during the general assembly.

Of Eurasianet.org

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