Azerbaijan is being slated for failing to lead the COP29 summit, which was expected to disappoint even before it started.
Given the job at the last minute as Ukraine and Russia’s supporters couldn’t agree on a neutral venue, the government was only given one year to prepare instead of the usual two, but even after the event started, participants are complaining that Azeri negotiators are few on the ground, and the government seems more interested in cutting gas deals than stopping global warming.
That perception has been made worse by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev’s provocative opening speech, where he said “gas is a gift of God” and caused a stir at the COP29 summit when he lambasted the West with a rant against Western “hypocrisy” and its colonialists attitudes.
Two days later, he tore into France and the Netherlands for what he described as “repression” and ongoing “colonial rule”, as well as singling out EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who likened the emerging world to a “jungle” in an arrogant statement last year.
‘What can we expect from the European Parliament and PACE if Europe’s leading diplomat Josep Borrel called Europe a garden and the rest of the world a jungle. Well, if we are a jungle, then stand aside and do not interfere in our internal affairs!’ Aliyev said in the conclusion of his emotional speech.