YEREVAN—Azerbaijan has officially invited Armenia to participate in the COP29 summit scheduled to be held in Baku this November. The invitation was announced on Sunday, July 21 by Hikmet Hajiyev, assistant to Azerbaijan’s president.
Hajiyev informed journalists that an official invitation had been sent to Yerevan. In response to Azatutyun’s inquiry regarding the invitation and Armenia’s potential participation, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan stated, “If the issue is addressed, we will inform you.”
The U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29) is set to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11-22, 2024. This event is expected to draw thousands of government delegates, journalists and representatives from various organizations. Azerbaijan aims to use this platform to project a favorable international image.
Last December, the Armenian government expressed support for Azerbaijan’s bid to host the conference and withdrew its own candidacy as a gesture of goodwill.
The invitation was extended in the context of the ongoing negotiations aimed at resolving the long-standing conflict between Baku and Yerevan, as announced by Hajiyev. He added that a peace treaty could be finalized by November.
This development suggests that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan may soon travel to Baku to sign a preliminary agreement, signaling progress in negotiations with Azerbaijan. However, some critics suggest that the document has been drafted by Azerbaijani President Aliyev, which would not bind Baku to any significant commitments. They assert that Aliyev could continue to delay the signing of a comprehensive peace treaty while leveraging the agreement to extract further concessions from Pashinyan, under the guise of establishing friendly relations.
In May, Hajiyev proposed that Armenia and Azerbaijan sign a peace treaty during the upcoming COP29 summit in Baku. However, Aliyev has made this conditional on Armenia amending its Constitution, which he claims contains territorial assertions against Azerbaijan. The preamble of Armenia’s Constitution makes a reference to Artsakh and its unification with Armenia.
Speaking on Saturday, July 20 at the second Global Media Forum held in occupied Shushi, Aliyev stated that Yerevan must ensure the safe return of ethnic Azerbaijanis to “Western Azerbaijan,” referring to the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia.
During the forum, Aliyev revealed new concessions made by Armenia and outlined the two remaining issues in the negotiations.
“According to information provided by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, 80-90 percent of the text has already been agreed upon. Armenia has removed the clause and terminology related to Karabakh in their Constitution, facilitating further progress in the settlement process,” Aliyev stated.
Aliyev also highlighted two outstanding issues: “First, Armenia must respond positively to our proposal. Secondly, both Armenia and Azerbaijan should jointly request the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, as this group has been largely inactive in recent years.”
Armenian opposition leaders have accused PM Pashinyan of making significant concessions to Azerbaijan and Turkey to maintain his grip on power. They have criticized his decision to cede several border areas in the Tavush region to Azerbaijan without securing any reciprocal territorial concessions from Azerbaijan.
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the “Tavush for the Homeland” movement, has spoken out against the recent demands made by Aliyev. While officials in Azerbaijan have set forth these demands, there has been notable silence from the Armenian side, as if they do not exist. “Some self-proclaimed pro-Western figures in Armenia appear committed to justifying this propaganda,” the archbishop said.
“As long as patriotic citizens live, act, create and fight in the Republic of Armenia, there will be no place for Azerbaijanis here,” he continued. “It is disgraceful that we have to respond at this level, indicating that we lack a government that acts as a guarantor and protector.”
Archbishop Galstanyan also criticized the current state of negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“The Azerbaijani side consistently assumes a dictatorial stance, while our side is subject to their demands. When we assert that real negotiations do not exist, this is what we mean. Why should Azerbaijan engage in negotiations when it achieves its objectives daily?” Archbishop Galstanyan said.
Pashinyan has defended the land transfer in Tavush as necessary to prevent Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia. However, his critics argue that his policy of appeasement may instead encourage further aggression. The Armenian Foreign Ministry warned on June 19 that Azerbaijan might be planning a “new aggression” against Armenia following the COP29 summit.
The invitation to participate in COP29 comes after the events of last week, when Pashinyan and Aliyev attended the fourth summit of the European Political Community in the United Kingdom.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry refuted reports that Pashinyan declined a meeting with Aliyev in London. These reports, circulated by Azerbaijani media, included statements from Hajiyev, alleging that such actions would constitute a retreat from the peace agenda.
“The Armenian side proposed a bilateral meeting between the Prime Minister of Armenia and the President of Azerbaijan during the European Political Community summit in the U.K., but the Azerbaijani side rejected the proposal. The offer from the Armenian side remains valid. Additionally, the Armenian side reaffirms its commitment to intensify negotiations at the highest level, aiming to sign the peace agreement within a month,” stated the Armenian Foreign Ministry.
Armenian activists are using COP29 as an opportunity to draw attention to Azerbaijan’s human rights abuses. According to the Armenian National Committee, Azerbaijan aims to use COP29 to project a misleading image of its environmental policies. In contrast, the ANC is leveraging the conference to expose Azerbaijan’s true nature, highlighting its “real, genocidal, belligerent, totalitarian and anti-democratic nature.”
In preparation for the COP29, the Armenian National Committee has launched a comprehensive campaign targeting government, political, public and media circles associated with COP29. The goal is to advocate for the right of Artsakh residents to return and to urge international actors to pressure Azerbaijan to amend its anti-Armenian policies. This includes addressing genocidal acts in Artsakh, border incursions into Armenia and the unlawful detention of Armenian prisoners.
Luis Moreno Ocampo, the first prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, is collaborating with the ANC on social media initiatives. “By uniting the efforts of the international community, you can ensure that issues of climate change, human rights protection and justice are addressed at COP29. Armenians, it’s time to be the pioneers of change. Post, comment and raise your voice. Many will join you, including me,” Ocampo said.
Several prominent political figures and international organizations have already criticized the decision to hold COP29 in Baku, with some calling for a boycott of the event.
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