On October 9, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Kerry McCarthy, Minister for Climate in the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Touching on the significance of COP29, President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the high-level preparations underway in Azerbaijan, despite having less than a year to host the event.

The head of state noted that Azerbaijan plays an active role in building bridges between countries and global actors in the international arena, emphasizing that the country has effectively cooperated with international organizations for many years and successfully chaired the Non-Aligned Movement. “All of these factors also provide a solid basis for the organization of COP29.”

During the meeting, both sides expressed satisfaction with the cooperation between Azerbaijan’s and the United Kingdom’s COP teams, noting that climate change remains a priority on the British government's agenda.

Discussions focused on the prospects for cooperation between the two countries in the field of renewable energy, as well as Azerbaijan’s priorities and initiatives on the COP agenda.

The head of state highlighted Azerbaijan’s actions related to renewable energy. The conversation also revolved around Azerbaijan’s growing renewable energy potential, the four-party project involving Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary to build an undersea cable across the Black Sea, and a renewable energy project connecting Central Asia with Azerbaijan.

The significance of the pre-COP event held in Baku was underscored, particularly in its role in shaping the COP29 agenda.