This week, President Ilham Aliyev hosted a significant meeting in Baku with three representatives from island nations: Tuvalu’s Governor-General Falaniko Toafina, Tonga’s Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni, and The Bahamas’ Foreign Affairs Minister Frederick Audley Mitchell. The discussions centered around Azerbaijan’s objectives for the upcoming 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in November.
During the meeting, the leaders highlighted the severe climate challenges faced by their nations. The Bahamas’ representative, Mitchell, pointed out that a hurricane five years ago resulted in a loss of 30% of the country’s GDP, with recovery efforts still ongoing. He emphasized the ongoing threat of rising sea levels and frequent tsunamis.
Prime Minister Sovaleni of Tonga echoed these concerns, stressing the existential threat posed by rising sea levels to small island nations. “We must do everything possible to preserve our land,” he stated.
All three leaders expressed their appreciation for Azerbaijan’s initiative to include small island states in COP29 discussions. Following the meeting, the leaders adopted the Baku Communiqué, supporting Azerbaijan’s efforts to address the unique challenges faced by small island states.
President Aliyev affirmed Azerbaijan’s commitment to prioritizing the concerns of these vulnerable nations at COP29, stating, “Helping small island states is our moral duty, and we will ensure their voices are heard.”
