It is in this context that the results of Ilham Aliyev’s working visit to the United Arab Emirates should be assessed. According to the official media, the head of state met in Abu Dhabi with the President of UAE Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
In the context of the Abu Dhabi summit, it is worth recalling that the United Arab Emirates, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, recently opposed the attempts of Armenia and France to push in the Security Council a resolution condemning Azerbaijan’s actions with regard to the situation on the Lachin-Khankendi road.
In this case, it was not only the solidarity of representatives of Muslim countries in international political and public institutions that played its part, but also Aliyev’s foreign policy vision, largely based on personal friendships with the leaders of the Arab world, including the President of the UAE Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
You may recall that in early November 2022, President Aliyev, as the chair of the Non-Aligned Movement, was invited as a guest of honor to the traditional annual Arab League summit in Algiers.
The speech of the President of Azerbaijan at the Arab League summit and his one-on-one meetings with the leaders of the Arab world were another step towards bringing Azerbaijan and the Arab states closer together, both within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and within other international organizations. Apart from the undeniable political dividends, this opened up new opportunities for Azerbaijan to expand bilateral relations, and created a favorable environment for attracting investment to Azerbaijan and implementing a number of major business projects.
In this regard, it is appropriate to mention the example of UAE’s Masdar, the clean energy company that has recently launched the construction of a wind power plant in Azerbaijan. This ambitious project worth hundreds of millions of dollars marks the beginning of a new stage in the use of alternative energy sources in Azerbaijan.
During his meeting with President Al Nahyan, Ilham Aliyev invited him to visit Baku. The leader of the UAE gratefully accepted the invitation of his distinguished guest, stressing that Azerbaijan is a friendly and brotherly country for the United Arab Emirates.
Another important part of the current working visit of the President of Azerbaijan to Abu Dhabi is his participation in the Sustainability Week, which kicks off in the UAE capital today, January 16.
Ilham Aliyev, invited as a guest of honor by the President of the UAE, will speak at the event.
This traditional high-profile international event, organized by Masdar and held under the auspices of the President of the UAE, brings together heads of state, ministers, prominent politicians, and entrepreneurs from around the world. Participants of the Sustainability Week will discuss current environmental challenges and technological opportunities on the path to achieving zero emissions.
This year’s Sustainability Week is held in preparation for the UN global climate change conference, which is also scheduled to take place in the United Arab Emirates from November 30 to December 12, 2023. The main agenda of the event is minimizing environmental waste.
The Week’s program includes a variety of events, such as the IRENA Assembly, World Future Energy Summit Exhibition, Green Hydrogen Summit, the Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) Forum, and others.
Participants will discuss development of clean energy technologies, financing of renewable energy projects, and a legal framework for global sustainable development.
It should be noted that the participation of President Ilham Aliyev in this major event is far from incidental. As we know, Azerbaijan has declared Karabakh a “green energy” zone and has made it a priority to expand the use of alternative energy sources as a crucial stage in Azerbaijan’s transition to a green economy.
Responding to global challenges in a timely manner, Azerbaijan seeks to shape its economy based on the principles of environmental protection, and therefore supports all constructive international initiatives aimed at environmental protection and the fight against the effects of climate change on the planet.
Asker Manafov
Translated from haqqin.az
