A Commission spokesperson did not comment on Aliyev’s speech. The European Union has been pushing hard for the Baku talks to reiterate and strengthen a deal struck last year to phase out fossil fuels.
Azerbaijan’s economy is heavily reliant on oil and gas production. In 2022, it accounted for almost half of the country’s GDP and 92.5 percent of export revenue, according to the U.S. International Trade Administration.
“As president of COP29, of course, we will be a strong advocate for green transition and we are doing it,” said Aliyev. “But at the same time, we must be realistic.”
Aliyev also slammed U.S. media for calling Azerbaijan a “petrostate” when their country is the number one oil and gas producer on Earth.
He finished with a swipe at civil society groups who called for a boycott of COP29 due to Azerbaijan’s repressive government and fossil fuel footprint.
“I have bad news for them,” the mustachioed president said, to rising applause in the room. “We have 72,000 registered participants from 196 countries. Among them 80 presidents, vice presidents and prime ministers. So the world gathered in Baku, and we say to the world: Welcome to Azerbaijan.”