Elin Suleymanov: The EU must allow Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue their negotiations

Elin Suleymanov, Azerbaijani Ambassador to the United Kingdom, has stated that it is disappointing that Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris did not attend the COP29 climate summit. Suleymanov criticized EU leaders for their “hypocrisy” on climate action, the Irish Independent writes.

Suleymanov pointed out that the EU has spoken a lot about the climate crisis, but has not always acted accordingly.

“We are told that everything else is secondary, that this is a matter of human survival,” he declared.

2024 proved to be one of the warmest years on record for Ireland, despite an unusually cool summer. The ten most devastating climate disasters of 2024 have cost hundreds of billions and claimed thousands of lives.

Only half of the EU countries sent their heads of state or government to the global climate summit held last November in Baku.

The decision to hold COP29 in Azerbaijan sparked controversy, as the authoritarian state is known for its repression of political opposition. It is also one of the world’s oldest oil producers, and its gas exports have become a “lifeline” for the EU after the bloc’s decision to abandon Russian gas due to the war in Ukraine.

The ambassador of Azerbaijan to the U.K. also suggested that Ireland could “assist in mine clearance efforts in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.”

While Ireland and other EU countries have expressed concern over the rights of Artsakh Armenians, Suleymanov believes that the EU should allow both sides to continue their negotiations.

“Everything positive that has occurred between Azerbaijan and Armenia has been the result of them directly speaking to each other. Despite all the bad things that have happened between us, we are neighbors, we know each other quite well, we speak a language we understand, and we have to live side by side. We do not want anyone to come and interfere, as they do it for their own benefit. We encourage our friends in the EU to support peace by supporting economic recovery,” Suleymanov stated.