The British publication “The Telegraph” President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev He covered the speech at the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Summit in Baku on the sidelines of COP29.
Oku.Az reports that the head of state’s speech was reflected in the publication.
“After Azerbaijan became the host of COP29, our relations with small island developing states have reached a new and higher level. The voice of small island states must be heard on the global stage. I appeal to all developed countries, especially countries with a colonial economy In the past, to support small island states, they are provided with material and technical support so that they can protect their countries from the effects of climate change.
Climate changes affect all countries, including Azerbaijan. We see that the Caspian Sea is becoming shallower every year. We see that there is less water in our rivers and less snow in our mountains. Unfortunately, flooding and heavy rains that we have never seen in the past are a reality today. In short, all countries are affected, but for small island states it is an existential threat.
Azerbaijan shows its unequivocal support for small island states. We have provided assistance to several disaster-vulnerable countries to reduce the impact of hurricanes, earthquakes and floods. We have also supported projects for water supply, food security and restoration of cultural heritage. More than 10 small island states have benefited from our student scholarship program to study at Azerbaijani universities. During our four years of presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement, we have provided financial and humanitarian assistance to more than 80 countries, including 20 small island States.
Eliminating the challenges faced by those countries is the foundation of Azerbaijan’s efforts at COP29. In May this year, the heads of the Bahamas, Tonga and Tuvalu visited Azerbaijan to discuss their plans for the COP. The adopted Baku Communiqué calls for significant results at COP29 and emphasizes the importance of accessible climate finance. In September this year, significant progress was made in Baku regarding the launch of the Loss and Damage Response Fund. Currently, the process needs to be completed to provide financing to countries in need, especially small island states. This summer, Azerbaijan signed a Joint Declaration with the League of Nations in Tonga.
We are providing $10 million to support joint United Nations projects in small island states. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the United Nations to use satellite data from the Azerbaijan Space Agency – “Azerkosmos” for environmental monitoring and assessment.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to take this opportunity to raise one of the important issues on the international agenda: neocolonialism and climate change. France is among the countries most affected by climate change, particularly in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean. Rising sea levels, extreme weather conditions and loss of biodiversity pose a serious threat to these regions. The voices of these communities are often silenced by their metropolitan regimes.
The peoples of the French colonies of New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Mayotte, Wallis and Futuna, Corsica, Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Merta and Saint Barthélemy, as well as the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, Saint Maarten, the towns of their colonies such as Bonaire, St. Yefstachio and Saba – let’s applaud the towns of that area – still suffer from colonial rule in the 21st century. Currently, French Polynesia and New Caledonia are recognized as non-self-governing territories by the UN in 1946-1947. However, its decolonization process is still delayed.
Between 1966 and 1996, French Polynesia experienced severe environmental degradation due to 193 nuclear tests conducted by France. France is responsible for serious poisoning and radiation of land and water. The radiation level has exceeded 4900 percent. If we add to this the 17 nuclear tests carried out by France during its years of occupation of Algeria, we can see the damage caused by that country to the planet’s ecosystem. The list of crimes committed by France in its territorial waters would not be complete without mentioning the regime’s recent human rights violations. President Macron’s regime killed 13 people and injured 169 during this year’s legitimate Kanak protest in New Caledonia. 1,700 people were arrested. Also this year, 38 people were arrested during protests in Martinique and Guadeloupe. In addition to all this, France was not condemned either by the European Commission, nor by the European Parliament, nor by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. This is political hypocrisy. Two institutions that have become symbols of political corruption – the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe – share responsibility with President Macron’s government for the killing of innocent people. All political prisoners in France must be released immediately.
If Europe’s top diplomat, Joseph Borel, calls Europe a garden and the rest of the world a jungle, what else can we expect from the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe? If we are in the jungle, stay away from us and do not interfere in our affairs. Azerbaijan has supported small island states as chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, will support them as chair of COP29, and will continue to support our friends in the future.
