As COP29 concludes, lead negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev reflects on its outcomes and legacy. In an exclusive interview with AnewZ, he discusses the next steps in global climate action and shares a message for Brazil, the host of the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference.
The COP29 summit ended last weekend with an agreement that nations will raise three hundred billion dollars towards vulnerable countries affected by climate change. Azerbaijan's lead negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev says it is now important for Baku to keep up the momentum.
"We have just started our presidency. It means for the next one year period, we will work hard to continue our presidency, to come up with new ideas, to help the Brazilian presidency build their own outcomes, a package. Also, as part of Troika, we will need to work closely with UAE and Brazil. But also, in terms of strategic importance for Azerbaijan, we need to keep... We maintain the legacy of Baku, we need to strengthen it, we need to promote it, because Baku was one of the historical COPs, ever. Because of its outcomes, because of the level of attendance, because of many important pledges and promises made by certain countries, and because of many innovations. And we need to keep, in the next few years at least, this legacy to be strengthened, maintained, and then further build upon it by having contributed to the global climate action, including the negotiations," Rafiyev stated.
As COP29 concluded, some countries, including India, Bolivia, and Cuba, voiced concerns over the outcome. Rafiyev explains the different positions these countries took and what steps will be needed to continue dialogue and collaboration moving forward.
"India was, of course, trying to block the whole decision, but they came to us, asked for a floor in the statement, but did not mention when. If it is before the adoption or after. And we, after the adoption, we gave them a floor and they expressed their view. When it comes to Bolivia, Bolivia was not against the decision, was not blocking it, just expressed solidarity with India. Those positions that the figure is low, that the developed countries should do more, and Cuba as well. So their dissatisfaction was not about the decision, but about the approach by the developed countries,"- he said.
Looking ahead to next year's UN Climate Change Conference at the port city of Belém, Rafiyev has a key message for the upcoming Brazilian presidency.
"Do not bring the political, geopolitical divides into the negotiations, I would say, into the negotiations process. Because if you bring these geopolitical divides, you end up in a situation where even though this is something that affects humanity, you cannot act impartially. Like those issues that you have been experiencing in other parts, in other areas of geopolitics, you have been observing also here,"- shared Rafiyev with AnewZ.
The UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) held in Baku from November 11 to 23 and led to significant progress in the fight against climate change.
President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan held talks with Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, in Beijing on Tuesday, furthering the countries' comprehensive strategic partnership.
Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are close to finalizing their border agreement, with only technical issues remaining. The deal aims to resolve long-standing disputes over roads, water resources, and territorial claims.
The COP29 UN Climate Change Conference, held in Baku concluded with a landmark agreement to increase public climate finance for developing countries to $300 billion annually by 2035
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the World Leaders' Climate Action Summit in Baku, welcoming global delegations
“Azerbaijan has created a platform, and we are a bridge between the parties. And now it's up to all of us together to make that happen,” UN High-Level Climate Champion, Nigar Arpadarai, tells AnewZ in an exclusive interview ahead of COP29 in Baku.
Three explosions were heard in Tehran early Tuesday, shortly after the Israeli army issued an evacuation alert for the city’s Seventh District, warning of possible strikes..
U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran and Israel have agreed to a complete ceasefire that will end the 12-day war between the two countries.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in London on Monday and signed a new agreement aimed at increasing Ukraine’s production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
U.S. President Donald Trump today celebrated a potential turning point in regional tensions, declaring "CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT’S TIME FOR PEACE!" in a post on Truth Social.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issued his first statement following Tehran’s retaliatory missile strike on the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, and its European services to Amman, Jordan, effective immediately until 15 September due to escalating situation in the Middle East. Also, the air carrier temporarily suspended its flights between Astana, Kazakhstan, and Abu Dhabi.
A 32°C heatwave expected to grip England has been made a 100 times more likely by human-caused climate change, according to a rapid scientific analysis released Thursday.
In 19 EU countries, the share of renewable energy sources in net electricity generation decreased in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the first quarter of 2024. The largest drops were recorded in Greece (-12.4%), Lithuania (-12.0%) and Slovakia (-10.6%).
The first side event of the Global South NGO Platform, initiated by Azerbaijan, was held in Bonn, Germany this week.
Egypt’s first integrated solar and battery storage plant will deliver dispatchable clean energy, enhance grid stability and manage peak demand. The project is expected to generate approximately 3,000 GWh of clean energy and avoid up to 1.4 million metric tonnes of emissions per year.
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Rachel Reeves, has announced a record £2.5 billion in additional funding this week to advance the development of the world’s first fusion power plant.
Three explosions were heard in Tehran early Tuesday, shortly after the Israeli army issued an evacuation alert for the city’s Seventh District, warning of possible strikes..
U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran and Israel have agreed to a complete ceasefire that will end the 12-day war between the two countries.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in London on Monday and signed a new agreement aimed at increasing Ukraine’s production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
U.S. President Donald Trump today celebrated a potential turning point in regional tensions, declaring "CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT’S TIME FOR PEACE!" in a post on Truth Social.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei issued his first statement following Tehran’s retaliatory missile strike on the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
