Azerbaijan President Aliyev invites PM Modi for COP29 Summit in November

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev has extended an invitation to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the COP29 climate summit, scheduled to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to November 22. The annual climate summit will focus on global efforts to limit global warming, adapt to the impacts of climate change, and mobilize financing for these critical activities.

Earlier this year, Mukhtar Babayev, COP's president designate and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, addressed an event in Delhi via video message.Other visits have also taken place from Azerbaijan to India to hold talks onenvironmental issues with their Indian counterparts. This includes, visit of Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan and COP29 Chief Negotiator, Yalchin Rafiyev who held talks with his counterpartSecretary of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India, Leena Nandan.

Azerbaijan's ambassador to India, Elchin Huseynli, has also been actively engaging with the Indianside. He has had talks with Ministry of external affair's Secretary West, Pavan Kapoor, discussing Azerbaijan's priorities for the upcoming summit. In addition, the COP President Babayevmet Secretary West Kapoor in Antigua and Barbuda, on the sidelines of the International Conference on Small Island Developing States, with focus on environmental issues.

In a unique initiative, Azerbaijan has proposed a two-week-long "COP truce," inspired by the ancient Olympic truce. This concept aims to unite countries to address the urgent issue of climate change, setting aside geopolitical tensions.The COP29 summit in Baku is expected to bring together world leaders, environmentalists, and activists to deliberate on critical climate issues. The summit aims to build on the progress made in previous COP meetings, with a heightened emphasis on tangible outcomes.

India is seen as a major active player on the issue of climate change. Various measures it has taken include leading the International Solar Alliance (ISA) initiative that aims to promote the use of solar energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Delhi has also set ambitious targets to reduce its carbon footprint, including a pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 and to get 50% of its energy from renewable resources by 2030.