“Progress in US-China relations raises hopes for COP29”
Oku.Az This was stated in an interview with AFP by Yalchin Rafiyev, chief negotiator for COP29 and deputy foreign minister.
He stressed that he received positive signals from recent high-level talks between the world’s two largest economies, which often act as supporters of the global North and South in international negotiations. According to him, the United States and China are narrowing their differences on international climate finance and raising hopes for progress at the major climate conference in Azerbaijan.
“There was a huge gap between the positions of the United States and China. This gap is now closing and we are seeing progress,” the diplomat said, adding that the positions of both sides have softened.
While he declined to go into details on the grounds that sensitive negotiations should not be undermined, he said this raised hopes for a positive outcome at COP29.
Y. Rafiyev stressed that the criterion for the success of COP29 will be the achievement of a consensus on the final key figure. He said that Azerbaijan will do its best to publish a new climate strategy on the eve of the Baku summit and, to achieve this goal, it is working in coordination with Brazil and the United Arab Emirates, the next and previous host of the COP.
The diplomat recalled that during the summit Azerbaijan called for an end to conflicts and global reconciliation. He noted that Azerbaijan is working for peace and criticism against the country is unfounded.
