Ilham Aliyev addressed the participants of the leaders' event within the framework of Pre-COP 2026

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed a message to the participants of the Leaders' Event within the framework of Pre-COP 2026.

As reported by BAKU.WS, the message states:

"Your Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the governments of Fiji, Tuvalu, and Australia for organizing this unique Leaders' Event within the framework of Pre-COP, which allows the global community to be directly on the frontlines of the fight against the climate crisis.

As a country that proudly hosted COP29, Azerbaijan joins this high-level event with a deep sense of continuity and with an unwavering commitment to advancing the global climate action agenda. Our experience of hosting COP reaffirmed that climate action can neither be delayed nor carried out in isolation. Today, we have gathered here to connect the legacy of the Baku COP29 with the upcoming key decisions so that the momentum built in Azerbaijan directly contributes to the successful holding of the thirty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31).

It is highly symbolic that this meeting takes place in the Pacific region, namely in Tuvalu and Fiji — countries for which climate change is an everyday reality. Today, no region on Earth has escaped the consequences of climate change, but for some of them, such as Tuvalu, it poses a threat to the very existence of the state.

Although Azerbaijan faces its own climate challenges, such as the receding of the Caspian Sea, water scarcity, and frequent flooding, we recognize that Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are the most vulnerable to the climate crisis. Despite their negligible contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, climate change disproportionately affects their economies and infrastructure, destroying livelihoods and ecosystems.

Azerbaijan consistently advocates for the voices of those who bear the full brunt of this crisis to not only be heard but also actively shape global climate policy. Addressing the challenges related to the particular vulnerability of these countries requires broad international cooperation and coordinated global action. Supporting SIDS is a shared responsibility and a moral obligation aimed at ensuring that no country is left behind.

During our presidency of COP29, we placed the priorities of SIDS at the forefront and sought to give their concerns a prominent place on the international agenda. On the eve of COP29, Azerbaijan hosted the leaders of the Bahamas, Tonga, and Tuvalu. The visit culminated in the adoption of the Baku Communiqué, which highlights the needs of SIDS and calls for more decisive global climate action.

COP29 marked a new stage in our relations with SIDS. The Small Island Developing States Leaders' Summit on Climate Change, held within the framework of COP29 in 2024 in Baku, served as an important platform for deeper awareness of the challenges faced by SIDS. At the summit, I called on all developed countries, especially those with a colonial past, to significantly increase their contributions to assist SIDS in combating climate change.

Beyond our multilateral engagement, we also provide support to SIDS through bilateral cooperation oriented toward their national priorities and development needs. With regard to the world's most disaster