BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 29. COP29 (the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) will demonstrate Azerbaijan's determination, diplomatic, and political courage, Assistant of the President of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev said in an interview to the Chinese Phoenix TV channel, Trend reports.
According to Hajiyev, in recent years, the importance of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor for transportation in Eurasia has increased significantly.
Azerbaijan, located at the crossroads of North-South and East-West transport routes, implements numerous measures in this regard, he said.
Besides, according to the official, the country is becoming an important transport and logistics center in the South Caucasus with the expansion of sea trade ports, increasing the number of manufactured ships, modernizing railways, and a continuous increase in the volume of sea and land cargo transportation.
Reminding that Azerbaijan is one of the first countries to support the "One Belt, One Road" initiative put forward by the President of China, Xi Jinping, Hajiyev said that this project had a positive impact on the general well-being of the countries located along the route, strengthened cooperation between them, and also promoted inter-civilizational dialogue, and thanks to this, the international community benefited from the ancient Chinese civilization.
"We see this project as a form of cooperation, partnership, and mutual prosperity that can bring prosperity to the countries along the route. Azerbaijan, located between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea, is a natural link connecting Central Asia and Europe," he explained.
Touching on the recent arrival of the train from Xi'an, China, passing through Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea and reaching Azerbaijan in just 11 days, the official emphasized that this route proved once again to be very important, competitive, and possible from the point of view of transport. being safe and reliable.
"We are working hard with our Chinese friends to further improve the efficiency and competitiveness of this trade route," he added.
Hajiyev pointed out that Azerbaijan is also making efforts to increase the transmission capacity of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway because goods are transported not only from East to West, but also in the opposite direction.
European companies and trade institutions can use this route to enter the Chinese and Central Asian markets, the official explained.
He highlighted that along with the East-West route, Azerbaijan is developing the North-South route and is thus recognized as a transport and logistics center in Eurasia.
Noting that in recent years, Azerbaijan has paid attention to the development of the non-oil economy and is trying to achieve economic diversification, Hajiyev drew attention to the solar power plants created in the country.
He said that this is an important stage in cooperation between China and Azerbaijan in the field of green energy.
Mentioning Azerbaijan's holding COP29 this year, the official noted that the issue of climate financing, which did not make progress at the previous conference, will become the main topic at the Baku conference.
At the same time, he stressed that Azerbaijan is the guarantor of European energy security and exports oil and natural gas to many European countries.
Hajiyev pointed out that there is close cooperation between China and Azerbaijan in the field of energy, and Chinese companies participate in oil and natural gas projects.
The official emphasized that Chinese companies are good partners in the diversification of our country's economy, as the green transition has become a priority area for Azerbaijan.
He also pointed out that Azerbaijan is very happy to see China taking the lead in the field of global green transformation.
Moreover, according to him, China has actually proven the possibility of a green transition.
"Transition to green energy is one of our priorities. We look forward to actively working with our Chinese friends at COP29 and beyond," Hajiyev said.
The official noted that COP29 will demonstrate Azerbaijan's determination as a country that has fossil fuels, as well as its diplomatic and political courage.
"It also shows our strong and firm will. Azerbaijan has shown that we are determined; we want to be a supporter of green energy in addition to hydrocarbon resources, and we are ready to contribute to this concept," he added.
China and Azerbaijan have always cooperated closely in the international world, firmly supporting multilateralism and protecting the interests of developing countries, Hajiyev concluded.
Meanwhile, this November, Azerbaijan will host COP29. This decision was made at the COP28 plenary meeting held in Dubai on December 11 last year. Baku will become the center of the world and will receive about 70–80,000 foreign guests.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an agreement signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. COP-the Conference of the Parties-is the highest legislative body overseeing the implementation of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are 198 countries that are parties to the Convention. Unless the parties agree otherwise, the COP is held annually. The first COP event took place in March 1995 in Berlin, and its secretariat is located in Bonn.
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