Your trusted source

Azerbaijan has invited Armenia to the Cop29 climate summit, a senior Azerbaijani official said on Sunday.

Hikmet Hajiyev, foreign policy adviser to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, told reporters an invitation had been extended to the country, The National reported.

The climate talks take place in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, from November 11 to 22.

“I’m saying … this for the first time to international media,” Mr Hajiyev said at the 2nd Global Media Forum in  Shushi.

“The [Cop29 president-designate Mukhtar Babayev] … has sent a letter of invitation to the minister of foreign affairs of Armenia. We have sent a formal invitation.”

Mr Hajiyev said sending this letter when both countries did not have formal diplomatic relations gives an “illustration” of the “good will” of Azerbaijan and its “inclusive approach”.

Mr Hajiyev said Cop was a global endeavour and the crucial talks went beyond “beyond Armenia and Azerbaijan”. He said he did not know if a presidential contact would resolve the impasse but stated Cop is “about everybody”.

“Now it is the time of the government of Armenia to decide.”

Azerbaijan were only selected as hosts last year after months of political wrangling and were resolved partially after Armenia dropped its objection to Azerbaijan as hosts.