Addis Ababa, July 1, 2024 (FBC) – Ethiopia and COP29 Presidency have agreed to collaborate on the outstanding issues in climate negotiations, according to Ethiopia’s Planning and Development Ministry.
This was disclosed at a bilateral meeting held today between Minister of Planning and Development of Ethiopia, Fitsum Assefa and Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan and President of the COP29, Mukhtar Babayev.
The 29th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 29) will be hosted by the Government of Azerbaijan in November.
During the bilateral meeting, Fitsum expressed gratitude for the invitation to the COP29 to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan in November 2024, and thanked the Azerbaijani government for the warm hospitality extended to the Ethiopian delegation during the visit in May 2024.
She also highlighted Ethiopia’s exemplary role in initiating and implementing ambitious climate change policies, such as the Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE), Green Legacy Initiative, Long-Term Low Emission and Climate Resilient Development Strategy and various environmental protection projects.
Ethiopia has invested approximately 82 billion USD between 2011 and 2019 on climate-related projects, mostly from its domestic budget, she added.
Fitsum further expressed Ethiopia’s expectations for the COP29 negotiations, including the conclusion of pending issues such as the New Quantified Collective Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG), operationalization of Article 6, a dedicated loss and damage funding facility, and the Global Goal on Adaptation.
The Minister also highlighted the growing burden that developing countries, particularly Least Developed Countries and Africa, are facing due to the adverse effects of climate change, including debt stress, which calls for deep reform of Multilateral Development Banks and International Financial Institutions.
Mukhtar Babayev expressed the COP29 presidency’s readiness to collaborate with Ethiopia to push the pending negotiation issues towards a successful conclusion.
He emphasized the need for a pragmatic approach and compromise during the negotiations to reduce polarization.
Azerbaijan’s Minister and President of the COP29, Mukhtar Babayev has officially requested Ethiopia’s support in lobbying the negotiation groups through various platforms, as Ethiopia is a leading champion in this regard.
Minister Fitsum acknowledged that as the current chair of the African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN), Ethiopia would play a role in pushing the African Group of Negotiators, as well as other negotiator groups, to exercise a pragmatic approach for the successful completion of COP29.
Finally, the two ministers discussed further strengthening the relationship between Ethiopia and Azerbaijan, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, and tourism.
Minister Fitsum Assefa and President Mukhtar Babayev recognized the untapped potential for expanding economic and cultural ties between the two countries.
They agreed to explore new opportunities for trade and investment partnerships as well as in creating a conducive environment for the private investment between both countries.
By strengthening trade, investment, and tourism ties, the ministers expressed their belief that Ethiopia and Azerbaijan could further deepen their bilateral relationship and unlock new avenues for mutually beneficial cooperation.
Both sides pledged to task their relevant government agencies to follow up on the agreed areas of collaboration, according to Ministry of Planning and Development.