Azerbaijan invItes Armenia to COP29

ArmInfo. Azerbaijan has invited  Armenia to the Cop29 climate summit, a senior Azerbaijani official  said on Sunday.

Hikmet Hajiyev, foreign policy adviser to Azerbaijan's President  Ilham Aliyev told reporters an invitation had been extended to the  country.

It comes amid an intermittent peace process to try to end a  decades-long conflict between the two and when they still do not have  formal diplomatic relations.

The climate talks take place in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, from  November 11 to 22.  "I'm saying : this for the first time to  international media," Mr Hajiyev said at the 2nd Shusha Global Media  Forum.

"The [Cop29 president-designate Mukhtar Babayev] : has sent a letter  of invitation to the minister of foreign affairs of Armenia. We have  sent a formal invitation."

Mr Hajiyev said sending this letter when both countries did not have  formal diplomatic relations gives an "illustration" of the "good  will" of Azerbaijan and its "inclusive approach".

Mr Hajiyev said Cop was a global endeavour and the crucial talks went  beyond "beyond Armenia and Azerbaijan". He said he did not know if a  presidential contact would resolve the impasse but stated Cop is  "about everybody".

"Now it is the time of the government of Armenia to decide."

Azerbaijan were only selected as hosts last year after months of  political wrangling and were resolved partially after Armenia dropped  its objection to Azerbaijan as hosts.

Tensions continue between both countries, however, despite peace  talks over the decades-long conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

An Azerbaijan offensive in 2023 retook Karabakh prompting the exodus  of more than 100,000 Armenians.  Any peace deal seeks to formalise  the border between the two countries

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has in the past few week been outlining more of  its plans for the crucial climate talks.

The fossil fuel-rich state on the Caspian Sea launched a $1bn fund  last Friday that is to be capitalised by contributions from the  fossil fuel industry and aiming to support climate projects in  developing countries.

The Cop29 presidency also launched the "Cop truce appeal" that aims  to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation more broadly.