YEREVAN—Baku and Yerevan are set to resume discussions on a treaty in December after COP29, as confirmed by Hikmet Hajiyev, assistant to the president of Azerbaijan. Hajiyev stated in an interview with TASS that while Azerbaijan’s current focus is on COP29, the talks will shift gears next month. “Starting in December, a new phase of negotiations will commence, centering on the continued discussions regarding the peace agreement text between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” he said.
Hajiyev noted that several key issues in the draft agreement remain unresolved. “Negotiations and expert-level discussions are ongoing,” he said, claiming that Armenia’s delayed responses to Azerbaijan’s proposals have hindered progress. “Beginning in December, we will initiate a new phase in the process.”
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov echoed Hajiyev’s sentiments, emphasizing that while core provisions of the draft have been largely agreed upon, some critical points still require consensus. “I cannot reveal specific figures at this moment, but important issues remain to be addressed,” Bayramov said. “Azerbaijan is the initiator of this process, and we are committed to seeing it through to completion,” he added.
COP29, the 29th annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is taking place from November 11-22 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The conference is a crucial international platform for global leaders, environmental activists, scientists and policymakers to discuss and negotiate actions to combat climate change, reduce global emissions and promote sustainable development.
Originally, both Armenia and Azerbaijan vetoed each other’s candidacy to host COP29. However, in a significant diplomatic move, Armenia decided to relinquish its bid to host and instead supported Azerbaijan’s candidacy. This decision was seen as a gesture of goodwill and an effort to demonstrate Armenia’s commitment to peace-building and regional cooperation, particularly following the 2020 war in Artsakh and ongoing tensions with Azerbaijan.
Hajiyev also commented on Armenia’s absence from COP29, stating that despite having registered delegates, there has been no official response from Armenia regarding their attendance. In response, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan denied this claim, stating that no official request or registration had been submitted by any Armenian official for participation. He did, however, acknowledge the possibility that some civil society organizations may have taken independent action in this regard.
Armenia’s absence at the COP has sparked political debate, with Abraham Gasparyan, director of the Genesis Armenia think tank, criticizing Azerbaijan’s narrative surrounding Armenia’s non-participation. Gasparyan accused Baku of spreading propaganda and framing Armenia’s absence as a deliberate snub to global climate discussions.
“Azerbaijan likely knew in advance of Armenia’s non-participation and began using this as part of a broader narrative,” Gasparyan said, arguing that Azerbaijan is attempting to portray Armenia as uninterested in global peace while positioning itself as a peace-seeking nation.
He added that Armenia’s absence at COP29 is a missed opportunity to address significant political and humanitarian issues on an international stage. “If Armenia couldn’t send its head of state, at the very least, the president or deputy prime minister should have attended COP29,” he stated. “They should have come prepared with urgent issues, including the return of prisoners held illegally by Azerbaijan, to ensure Armenia’s voice was heard.”
Gasparyan highlighted the ongoing plight of Armenian prisoners detained in Azerbaijan since the 2020 war, arguing that this humanitarian issue should have been prioritized in Armenia’s international advocacy. He emphasized the importance of platforms like COP29 for smaller nations to spotlight concerns that might otherwise be overlooked. International gatherings could also be used to shed light on Azerbaijan’s environmental violations and “ecocide” against the Armenian population, he added, citing the destruction of natural habitats in Artsakh.
Meanwhile, the Armenian National Assembly faces controversy over a proposal calling for the immediate release of Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) held in Azerbaijan. Despite support from opposition factions, the ruling Civil Contract Party did not participate in the vote, which aimed to raise awareness of the illegal detention of Armenian POWs in the context of COP29. The proposal called on the international community to demand the release of all Armenian detainees and address human rights abuses.
Ruben Rubinyan, vice president of the Armenian National Assembly, stated that the opposition is “completely indifferent to the fate of the captives” and aims to “turn the issue of the prisoners into political capital” with this proposal.
Kristine Vardanyan, an MP of the “Armenia” faction, criticized the ruling party for blocking the initiative, calling it both “predictable” and “absurd.” She criticized Rubinyan for making his accusation while “looking into the eyes of Gegham Manukyan, whose brother is currently imprisoned in Baku.”
“Will you condemn Aliyev?” she asked, raising Azerbaijan’s aggression over the past four years. “We hear claims that we are doing everything possible. Where is the evidence of that?”
As Azerbaijan hosts COP29, the event has ignited discussions about the country’s human rights record and treatment of ethnic Armenians. In an article for The Guardian, climate activist Greta Thunberg critiques Azerbaijan’s role as host of COP29, highlighting the country’s poor human rights record and reliance on fossil fuels. She argues that the climate crisis is intertwined with humanitarian issues, pointing to the ongoing suffering in Artsakh and across the world and the lack of genuine climate action from Azerbaijan.
“The ‘Cop of peace’ is one theme chosen for this year’s climate conference by the host, which wants to encourage states to observe a ‘Cop truce.’ It is gut-wrenching, to say the least, to talk of global peace after the terrible human rights violations committed by Azerbaijan’s Aliyev regime against ethnic Armenians living in the Nagorno-Karabakh/Artsakh region,” Thunberg wrote.
“You cannot claim to care about climate justice if you ignore the sufferings of oppressed and colonized people today,” she continued, emphasizing that true climate justice encompasses human rights for all. She calls for immediate sanctions against the Azerbaijani regime and the cessation of fossil fuel imports, urging diplomatic pressure to secure the release of political prisoners and ensure the right of safe return for displaced Armenians.
Thunberg, currently in Armenia, will participate in a panel discussion on the “Impact of Azerbaijan’s Aggression on Human Rights and Environmental Protection” at the American University of Armenia on Thursday morning. In addition, Thunberg is scheduled to join the “Stop Greenwashing Genocide!” protest, which will take place near the U.N. office in Armenia on Friday.
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