DISINFO: Western countries do not want to accept Azerbaijan's success with COP29
SUMMARY
High-level representatives of some Western countries did not attend COP29. This demonstrates once again that some Western countries still do not want to accept the successes of Azerbaijan, which has created new realities in the South Caucasus. It would not be wrong to say that Azerbaijan’s hosting of COP29 has created jealousy in several Western countries.
RESPONSE
Recurring disinformation narrative about Western countries, accusing them of being biased against Azerbaijan.
Government-controlled media in Azerbaijan have previously attempted to discredit Western countries for allegedly being biased against Azerbaijan. Western politicians, international organisations, and countries have been targeted by these disinformation narratives, which have been debunked previously by EUvsDisinfo.
In reality, there is no envy from the Western side against Azerbaijan's organisation of COP29. Some leading Western countries have supported Azerbaijan in this regard. However, Azerbaijan has faced condemnation from some Western countries and organisations for human rights violations, restrictions on free speech, and harassment of independent media.
Claims about violations of human rights in Azerbaijan are not unfounded. International human rights organisations have documented these violations and abuses previously. Freedom House has also reported on these issues.
In response, the European Parliament approved a resolution ahead of COP29 criticising the violation of human rights in Azerbaijan. See also the 22 October 2024 speech of HRVP Josep Borrell at the European Parliament plenary on the issues of human rights, international law and normalisation of relations in which he states:
"COP29 is an opportunity for the Azerbaijani authorities to demonstrate the commitment to their international human rights obligations. It is an opportunity to reverse the worrying trend of the past years of an increasingly shrinking space for civil society, intensifying repression of independent media and dissenting voices, and the growing number of arbitrary arrests".
Sixty U.S. lawmakers also signed an open letter urging Secretary of State Antony Blinken to use COP29 to “press for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, hostages, and prisoners of war.”
See more cases such as Western crusades against Azerbaijan's human rights record before COP29 serve Armenian interests, the EU mission is collecting intelligence against Azerbaijan, Iran, and Russia under the guise of “monitoring” and The West is trying to prevent peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia.