COP29 host Azerbaijan brands oil and gas ‘gift from God’

President Aliyev accuses West of hypocrisy for criticising country’s fossil-fuel dependence while buying its lipid & gas.

Azerbaijan’s president has branded lipid and state a “gift from God” arsenic he welcomed delegates to nan COP29 ambiance summit.

President Ilham Aliyev praised nan usage of earthy resources, including fossil fuels, astatine nan opening ceremonial of nan United Nations convention successful Baku connected Tuesday. The Caucasian nation’s leader made nan telephone arsenic he slammed disapproval regarding his country’s exports of lipid and gas.

Aliyev asserted that Azerbaijan has faced a “campaign of accusation and blackmail” amid calls to boycott nan acme owed to its reliance connected fossil fuels.

He accused Western “fake media” – particularly from nan US – and biology organisations of moving nan campaign.

The president of nan lipid and gas-rich state argued, arsenic he had successful nan months preceding nan summit, that nations should not beryllium judged based connected their earthy resources and really they usage them.

“Quote maine that I said that this is simply a gift of God, and I want to repetition it coming present astatine this audience,” Aliyev said, having utilized a akin statement successful April.

The president said nan tens of thousands of registered participants successful nan summit, among them galore heads of state, are “bad news” for nan critics.

Figures from nan International Energy Agency show that lipid and state relationship for astir 90% of Azerbaijan’s exports.

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Both are indispensable to a liveable world for each humanity and a prosperous early for each federation connected Earth.

My remarks astatine #COP29: https://t.co/CKmx0jtqwY pic.twitter.com/gQYSuCtaz0

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) November 12, 2024

“Fake news media of nan state which is (the) number 1 lipid and state shaper successful nan world and produces 30 times much lipid than Azerbaijan, telephone america ‘petrostate’,” Aliyev said. “They amended look astatine themselves.”

He besides took purpose astatine “so-called independent NGOs and immoderate politicians, arsenic if (they) were competing successful spreading disinformation and mendacious accusation astir our country”.

The president repeated accusations of hypocrisy against critics successful nan West, which he pointed retired continues to bargain Azeri gas.

Europe has raised its purchases arsenic it seeks to trim reliance connected Russian supplies, successful a bid to some boost power information and limit backing for Moscow’s warfare machine.

No state should beryllium blamed “for bringing earthy resources to nan market, because nan marketplace needs them,” Aliyev asserted.

At nan COP29 summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it would beryllium “absurd” to thin heavier now into fossil fuels, contempt nan antagonistic effects of world warming.

He said while each countries must beryllium progressive successful nan conflict against ambiance change, “the G20 countries should return nan lead successful this process.”

“The timepiece is ticking,” Guterres said, pointing retired that projections show 2024 will apt beryllium nan hottest twelvemonth connected record.

Source

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Al Jazeera and news agencies