YEREVAN—Azerbaijan has officially invited Armenia to participate in the COP29 summit scheduled to be held in Baku this November. The invitation was announced on Sunday, July 21 by Hikmet Hajiyev, assistant to Azerbaijan’s president.
Hajiyev informed journalists that an official invitation had been sent to Yerevan. In response to Azatutyun’s inquiry regarding the invitation and Armenia’s potential participation, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan stated, “If the issue is addressed, we will inform you.”
The U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29) is set to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11-22, 2024. This event is expected to draw thousands of government delegates, journalists and representatives from various organizations. Azerbaijan aims to use this platform to project a favorable international image.
Last December, the Armenian government expressed support for Azerbaijan’s bid to host the conference and withdrew its own candidacy as a gesture of goodwill.
The invitation was extended in the context of the ongoing negotiations aimed at resolving the long-standing conflict between Baku and Yerevan, as announced by Hajiyev. He added that a peace treaty could be finalized by November.
This development suggests that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan may soon travel to Baku to sign a preliminary agreement, signaling progress in negotiations with Azerbaijan. However, some critics suggest that the document has been drafted by Azerbaijani President Aliyev, which would not bind Baku to any significant commitments. They assert that Aliyev could continue to delay the signing of a comprehensive peace treaty while leveraging the agreement to extract further concessions from Pashinyan, under the guise of establishing friendly relations.
In May, Hajiyev proposed that Armenia and Azerbaijan sign a peace treaty during the upcoming COP29 summit in Baku. However, Aliyev has made this conditional on Armenia amending its Constitution, which he claims contains territorial assertions against Azerbaijan. The preamble of Armenia’s Constitution makes a reference to Artsakh and its unification with Armenia.
Speaking on Saturday, July 20 at the second Global Media Forum held in occupied Shushi, Aliyev stated that Yerevan must ensure the safe return of ethnic Azerbaijanis to “Western Azerbaijan,” referring to the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.
During the forum, Aliyev revealed new concessions made by Armenia and outlined the two remaining issues in the negotiations.
“According to information provided by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, 80-90 percent of the text has already been agreed upon. Armenia has removed the clause and terminology related to Karabakh in their Constitution, facilitating further progress in the settlement process,” Aliyev stated.
Aliyev also highlighted two outstanding issues: “First, Armenia must respond positively to our proposal. Secondly, both Armenia and Azerbaijan should jointly request the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, as this group has been largely inactive in recent years.”
Armenian opposition leaders have accused PM Pashinyan of making significant concessions to Azerbaijan and Turkey to maintain his grip on power. They have criticized his decision to cede several border areas in the Tavush region to Azerbaijan without securing any reciprocal territorial concessions from Azerbaijan.
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the “Tavush for the Homeland” movement, has spoken out against the recent demands made by Aliyev. While officials in Azerbaijan have set forth these demands, there has been notable silence from the Armenian side, as if they do not exist. “Some self-proclaimed pro-Western figures in Armenia appear committed to justifying this propaganda,” the archbishop said.
“As long as patriotic citizens live, act, create and fight in the Republic of Armenia, there will be no place for Azerbaijanis here,” he continued. “It is disgraceful that we have to respond at this level, indicating that we lack a government that acts as a guarantor and protector.”
Archbishop Galstanyan also criticized the current state of negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“The Azerbaijani side consistently assumes a dictatorial stance, while our side is subject to their demands. When we assert that real negotiations do not exist, this is what we mean. Why should Azerbaijan engage in negotiations when it achieves its objectives daily?” Archbishop Galstanyan said.
Pashinyan has defended the land transfer in Tavush as necessary to prevent Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia. However, his critics argue that his policy of appeasement may instead encourage further aggression. The Armenian Foreign Ministry warned on June 19 that Azerbaijan might be planning a “new aggression” against Armenia following the COP29 summit.
The invitation to participate in COP29 comes after the events of last week, when Pashinyan and Aliyev attended the fourth summit of the European Political Community in the United Kingdom.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry refuted reports that Pashinyan declined a meeting with Aliyev in London. These reports, circulated by Azerbaijani media, included statements from Hajiyev, alleging that such actions would constitute a retreat from the peace agenda.
“The Armenian side proposed a bilateral meeting between the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan during the European Political Community summit in the U.K., but the Azerbaijani side rejected the proposal. The offer from the Armenian side remains valid. Additionally, the Armenian side reaffirms its commitment to intensify negotiations at the highest level, aiming to sign the peace agreement within a month,” stated the Armenian Foreign Ministry.
Armenian activists are using COP29 as an opportunity to draw attention to Azerbaijan’s human rights abuses. According to the Armenian National Committee, Azerbaijan aims to use COP29 to project a misleading image of its environmental policies. In contrast, the ANC is leveraging the conference to expose Azerbaijan’s true nature, highlighting its “real, genocidal, belligerent, totalitarian and anti-democratic nature.”
In preparation for the COP29, the Armenian National Committee has launched a comprehensive campaign targeting government, political, public and media circles associated with COP29. The goal is to advocate for the right of Artsakh residents to return and to urge international actors to pressure Azerbaijan to amend its anti-Armenian policies. This includes addressing genocidal acts in Artsakh, border incursions into Armenia and the unlawful detention of Armenian prisoners.
Luis Moreno Ocampo, the first prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, is collaborating with the ANC on social media initiatives. “By uniting the efforts of the international community, you can ensure that issues of climate change, human rights protection and justice are addressed at COP29. Armenians, it’s time to be the pioneers of change. Post, comment and raise your voice. Many will join you, including me,” Ocampo said.
Several prominent political figures and international organizations have already criticized the decision to hold COP29 in Baku, with some calling for a boycott of the event.
Hoory Minoyan
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I told you all, brotherly turks are our friends.
I made so much money introducing turkish politicians to Nikol Civil Contract
We must forget Soviet junk, Karabagh, and Zangezeur. Lets embrace America and brotherly Turks
You could not get any more obvious if you tried. Turkish terrorists are not our friends and you are a Turk yourself disguised behind your FAKE pseudo-name. I laugh at your fabricated nickname, your Canadian wife an ocean away, your imaginary Mercedes Benz and her imaginary BMW, not to mention she herself is imaginary. Did you even know people on minimum living wage can drive those cars these days?
We must ignore you and your dog and pony show, continue militarizing and be armed to the teeth and ready to liberate all occupied Armenian territories under genocidal terrorist Turkey’s occupation as well as all those under the occupation of terrorist Turkey’s criminal collaborator artificial Azerbaijan. The next step will be to empty liberated Armenian territories from Turkish and pseudo-Turkish Azerbaijani criminals and undesirables by all means!
“Sevan Peter B” is an unashamed apologist troll for Turkey, obviously suffering from Stockholm syndrome, which Istanbul Armenians like him, generally do.
Overconfidence like ” we have tea in Baku” pre 2020
@Ararat – Sevan is right
Armenians got rid of Russians in the name of democracy and simping to white people
Now, Armenia has a pro-turk, pro-west government. You cant have a pro-west government without it being pro-turk… anyone telling you something else is disingenuous
When you support democracy, westernization, you support sevan, who by the way, is a real person all over the place
So, maybe if you are a democracy maven, you might as well also make money with him introducing turk politicians to nikols civil contract. AGBU does…
Ararat, maybe he’s being sarcastic. As for myself I don’t know why I log on to AW and post. Just nothing but pain and despair. Maybe in my naivete i think i’ll find a bit of good news like Pashoglu losing support and Srpazan gaining support.
At this point, my only somewhat realistic hope is the Russians step in once the Ukrainazi regime in Kiev is overthrown. I just hope they step in before Pashoglu and his cronies give away Zangezur.
Sevan seems delusional yet as matters stand Armenia reconquering anywhere seems delusional too.
Lying Charlie at it again. Sevan is here because you lied and told Armenians that the west would come to Armenia’s defence if Armenia did everything to remove the Russian presence.
Charlie, you are Sevan. Poor lying Charlie…
Armenia should participate, call AZ’s bluff. No fear, this is an international conference and Armenia has every right to be there.
Yakub where and when did i say Armenia must divorce from Russia only that Armenia needs to be more realistic about Russia.
At all Armenians- see how Charlie the manipulative turk hodes behind lies and half truths
He spent months, if not years demonizing Russia, saying the west was a better option.
And now that weirdos like Sevan Peter B, are naturally taking Charlies words to its logical conclusions, of totally relying on the west and divorcing Russia, Charlie is retracting what he said
Lying Charlie, you are despicable
It is absurd that Azerbaijan, a significant fossil fuel producer and major polluter, is hosting COP29. This would be like Phillip Morris hosting a conference on preventing emphysema and lung cancer. COP29 should be boycotted by the entire international community instead of indulging the wretched Aliyev clan who are murders, liars, thieves, and polluters. Those who decide to go to this sham propaganda event should pay a visit to the filthy Caspian Sea.
Which planet do you live on?
Countries do things in their interests, except Armenians who just want to be loved by whitey
Pashoglu is owned by the US, israel and the Turks. He will do what he’s told and go where they want him to go
For some any criticism of Russia and citing that there are western countries sympathetic to Armenia and Armenia shouldn’t be beholden to Russia causes them much upsets
Lying Charlie at it again
Deflecting from his despicable rhetoric
Lying Charlie telling Armenians to fully embrace Turkey through the west, then disavowing what he said, when it suits lying Charlie
I actually agree with Charles. Many of you are doing what is very common in history when one overconfident side loses a war. Look up “stab in the back” from World War 1 or the “lost cause” from the American Civil War. Same thing with Pakistan when it lost to India in some their wars. Its the same old accusations of selling out and betrayal.. Our emotions won’t let us accept logic.
On a whole different topic, think of this as state building game. A small resource poor independent landlocked nation surrounded by hostile neighbors who have much larger populations and superior militaries. Neighbors that are also suspicious of each other. How does this nation succeed?
Armenians did not lose the recent war, an invasion in reality, to the Azerbaijanis because of their overconfidence. This was NATO member Turkish proxy war on the Armenians using incompetent Azerbaijani armed forces and all their other resources. In addition, Turkey employed the criminal services of Northern Syrian ISIS mercenaries paid by Azerbaijani petrodollars and advanced weapons from Pakistan, Belarus and Israel. A small Armenian defense force in Artsakh, with some volunteers from Armenia, fought half dozen terrorist states and entities. Let’s not cheapen what actually happened. For the last thirty years, every time Azerbaijan tried anything large scale on its own it came up short or simply lost. The victory of 1994 and 4-day war of April 2016 are prime examples of these facts. Erdogan said it himself recently when he entertained the idea of Turkish troops entering Gaza when he said “We did in karabakh and in Libya”.
Armenia needs to cleanse itself from its internal enemies first and remove this delusional incompetent and treasonous regime at once. Then everything will fall in place.
@Ararat,
You are as disconnected from reality as any Nikolakan. Simply amazing how out of touch with reality Armenians can be. If you want to see real fighters and warriors, forget Mammon worshiping Armenian mama’s boys and backward peasants and look at Ukrainians, Palestinians, Alawite Syrians and Shitte Lebanese.
Gurgen, Ukrainians? Half a million Ukrainians have been sent to their death in the Russian meat grinder since the start of the war. Fleeing or refusing to fight is rampant these days. I wouldn’t call them fierce warriors – they are more like the west’s foolish victims. As far as Armenia and Armenians, it is well known that the bulk of the Armenian army was held back from the fighting as the Artsakh defense forces were mostly left on their own against Turkish supported Azeris. This was a setup for Armenia to lose Artsakh or rather a 4 billion dollar agreement between pashoglu and the turks and west. Its a reflection on the general publics apathy and ignorance that this traitorous weasel is still prime minister.
Gurgen,
I guess according to you just about all Armenians who don’t share your view of the world are out of touch with reality. Take a good look in the mirror next time before labeling people. Tell us What terrorist Turkey was doing in Armenia’s backyard, in defense of incompetent artificial Azerbaijan with direct military assistance, and under Russia’s watchful eyes and with their consent, when during the Soviet Union if Turkey acted like it did in this day and age it would have been invaded by the Soviets.
P.S. In the 1994 victorious war and despite all the advantages both in terms of man and financial power Azerbaijanis had over the Armenians they lost the war in utmost devastating and humiliating fashion. Azerbaijan lost nearly 40K of its armed forces which probably constituted about two-thirds of its total active forces. Why did Azerbaijan stop and accept or begged for ceasefire within 4 days of launching large scale attack in 2016 on the Armenians after a decade of militarization spending yearly more than the entire Armenia’s annual state budget on arms purchases and never ceasing its warmongering anti-Armenian rhetoric and instead of going all the way lasting only a week? Unlike 2020, these all happened in absence of direct Turkish military involvement. What part of what I said confused you so much? AND I despise Nikol and Nikolakans!
Ararat, people disassociated with reality don’t realize they are. Please go back to watching your Kill Dim cartoons…
Gurgen,
You are a joke. A make-believe know-it-all conceited narcissist. Your expertise is to hurl insults at anyone who remotely deviates from your fairy tales. Go watch your Soviet patriotic BS they fed you for a lifetime and feel great to be an Armenian slave!
Everyone, Germany, The Saudis, Africa, the America’s, Italy are or are or are beginning to pivot east. Hayastancis are pivoting west – too late for the party.