BAKI,TurkicWorld
Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Yalchin Rafiyev paid a working visit to Paris, France, from April 30 to May 1.
TurkicWorld reports that, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the visit Rafiyev participated as a keynote speaker in the opening session of the “IEA–COP31: High-Level Energy Transition” event, jointly organized by the International Energy Agency and the COP31 Presidency at the invitation of IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol.
In his remarks, Rafiyev highlighted Azerbaijan’s initiatives in the energy sector under COP29, the preparations for COP31, and the current global challenges related to climate change.
Within the framework of the visit, a business event dedicated to April 25 – the International Day of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) – was held at UNESCO, organized by Azerbaijan’s Permanent Delegation to the organization. Addressing the event, Rafiyev expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation between Azerbaijan and SIDS countries, emphasizing that, under the instructions of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has been providing sustained support and special attention to these states within international development assistance efforts.
He noted that, as a new direction of this cooperation, Azerbaijan is ready to provide political and technical support for the inclusion of SIDS countries’ cultural heritage in UNESCO lists.
Representatives of SIDS countries accredited to UNESCO stressed that the historic decisions adopted at COP29 under Azerbaijan’s successful presidency are of particular importance for these climate-vulnerable nations and expressed their gratitude for Azerbaijan’s support.
Speakers also underlined the risks posed by climate change to the cultural heritage of SIDS countries, welcoming Azerbaijan’s initiative as timely and innovative, and voiced their support for the proposal.
The event concluded with an agreement to develop and implement a joint program involving Azerbaijan, UNESCO, and the SIDS group comprising 39 countries, aimed at addressing existing challenges in this area.
During the visit, Rafiyev also met with senior officials of Türkiye’s COP31 Presidency team, where preparations for COP31, scheduled to be held in Antalya, were discussed.
