BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 21. A public discussion themed “Hybrid Threats Against COP29,” organized by the Temporary Commission on Countering Foreign Interference and Hybrid Threats under the Azerbaijani Parliament, took place in Baku on October 21, Trend reports.
The session included members of the Parliament, think tank representatives, civil society experts, and Deputy Head of the Parliament Office Rustam Mahmudov.
Opening the meeting, commission chair Ramid Namazov stated that the event was organized at the directive of Parliament Chair Sahiba Gafarova.
The session highlighted that Azerbaijan is set to host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in November, along with the 19th session of the Kyoto Protocol and the 6th session of the Paris Agreement. Namazov emphasized that as the date for COP29 approaches, there is a noticeable increase in defamatory campaigns against Azerbaijan.
Namazov pointed out that Azerbaijan is facing two types of hybrid threats related to COP29. The first involves misinformation, including smear campaigns in the media and fake news. The second is a hybrid threat known as "lawfare," which utilizes legal instruments as weapons, such as anti-Azerbaijani resolutions passed in various parliaments, unfounded international lawsuits, and sanctions.
Despite these challenges, it was affirmed that Azerbaijan, which has successfully hosted numerous international events, will conduct COP29 at a high level, marking another significant achievement for the country.
Following this, several deputies, including Gulshan Pashayeva, Sevil Mikayilova, Parvana Valiyeva, Mubariz Gurbanli, Elman Nasirov, Nurlan Hasanov, and Kamran Bayramov, as well as Deputy Executive Director of the Media Development Agency Natig Mammadli, Head of Department of the Center for Analysis of International Relations Javid Valiyev, and Head of Sector of the Center for Social Research Ilyas Huseynov, discussed the relevance of the topic. They stressed the biased positions of certain foreign states towards Azerbaijan and the importance of taking serious steps to combat foreign interference.
In closing, Namazov acknowledged the constructive discussions and expressed confidence that these efforts would yield positive results. He also voiced his belief that COP29, taking place in Azerbaijan, will be another success for the nation.
