President Barzani commends Azerbaijan for hosting COP29 summit

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Tuesday expressed his gratitude to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for the invitation to the COP29 climate summit, commending Azerbaijan for hosting a “successful summit” in Baku.

“Thank you @presidentaz Ilham Aliyev for the invitation to attend #COP29. Congratulations to the government and people of Azerbaijan on hosting a successful and well-organized summit,” President Barzani said in a post on X.

President Barzani was greeted by Azerbaijani Aliyev upon arriving at the summit.

Later, he met several world leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, United Arab Emirates (UAE) leader Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov.

"I’m pleased to attend #COP29 in Baku. This annual gathering is an important opportunity for us to take meaningful steps toward a sustainable future," Barzani said in a post on X.

"Together, we can tackle climate change and build a healthier planet for generations to come," he added.

Falah Mustafa, special assistant to President Barzani for foreign policy affairs, told Rudaw on Monday that the presence of delegations from the Kurdistan Region is a testament to its commitment to represent the challenges it faces and to address them in collaboration with both Iraq and the international community to enhance regional stability.

The UN Climate Conference, also known as COP29, is bringing together 198 countries in Baku from November 11 to 22. More than 200 world leaders are expected to attend the summit this year, in addition to over 1,600 representatives of international organizations.

COP29 aims to provide $100 billion per year to developing nations based on a 2009 agreement that has not met its goals.