President Ilham Aliyev addresses 2026 Pre-COP Leaders’ Event

President Ilham Aliyev has addressed the participants of the 2026 Pre-COP Leaders’ Event.

TodayPress TV reports that the address reads:

“Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the governments of Fiji, Tuvalu and Australia for organizing this unique Pre-COP Leaders’ Event, which brings the global community directly to the forefront of the fight against the climate crisis.

As the country that successfully hosted COP29, Azerbaijan joins this high-level event with an unwavering commitment to ensuring resilience and advancing the global climate agenda. Our experience with the COP process once again confirmed that climate action can neither be postponed nor carried out in isolation. We have gathered here today to connect the legacy of Baku COP29 with the key decisions ahead and to ensure that the momentum built in Azerbaijan directly supports the path toward the successful holding of the 31st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31).

Holding this event in the Pacific region, particularly in countries such as Tuvalu and Fiji, where climate change is an everyday reality, carries symbolic significance. No region of the planet is immune to the impacts of climate change today, but for some countries, such as Tuvalu, it poses an existential threat.

Although Azerbaijan faces climate-related challenges such as declining water levels in the Caspian Sea, water scarcity and frequent flooding, we recognize that Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are among those most vulnerable to the climate crisis. Despite making only a negligible contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, these states are disproportionately affected by climate change, which impacts their economies and infrastructure and destroys livelihoods and ecosystems.

Azerbaijan has advocated for countries facing the most severe consequences of this crisis not only to have their voices heard, but also to actively contribute to shaping global climate policy. Addressing the unique vulnerabilities of these countries requires closer international cooperation and coordinated global action. Supporting Small Island Developing States is not only our shared responsibility, but also our moral duty to ensure that no country is left behind.

Within the framework of our COP29 Presidency, we placed the priorities of Small Island Developing States at the forefront and sought to keep their challenges at the center of international attention. Before COP29, the leaders of the Bahamas, Tonga and Tuvalu gathered in Azerbaijan. This visit resulted in the adoption of the Baku Communiqué, which highlighted the needs of Small Island Developing States and called for stronger global climate action.

COP29 laid the foundation for a new stage in our relations with Small Island Developing States. The Leaders’ Summit on Climate Change of Small Island Developing States, held in Baku in 2024 as part of COP29, served as an important platform for raising awareness of the challenges faced by these states. At this Summit, I called on all developed countries, particularly those with a colonial past, to significantly increase their contributions to supporting Small Island Developing States in combating climate change.

Alongside our multilateral cooperation, we have also supported Small Island Developing States through bilateral cooperation tailored to their national priorities and development needs. We have supported a number of countries most affected by disasters around the world in mitigating the effects of hurricanes, earthquakes and floods. We have also supported projects related to water supply, food security and the restoration of cultural heritage. More than 10 Small Island Developing States have benefited from our Education Grant Program, enabling their citizens to study at universities in Azerbaijan.

As another important step toward enhancing the climate resilience of Small Island Developing States, Azerbaijan and the Commonwealth signed a Joint Declaration in 2024. Azerbaijan is providing $10 million in assistance over five years to support projects aimed at combating climate change in these countries. Our cooperation with the Commonwealth also envisages the use of satellite data provided by the Azerbaijan Space Agency – Azercosmos for environmental monitoring and assessment.

Excellencies,

Although thousands of kilometers separate Azerbaijan from the Small Island Developing States, we are united by a shared determination to strengthen resilience to climate change. We have always stood in solidarity with Small Island Developing States and will continue to support them in their efforts to achieve sustainable development and combat climate change.

I hope that this gathering will further strengthen our collective voice and serve as an important step in preparations for COP31 in Antalya. I take this opportunity to express Azerbaijan’s full support for the upcoming COP31 Presidencies of Türkiye and Australia and to emphasize my appreciation for this unique partnership format that brings together different continents.

I wish this event every success. Thank you.”