The President of Azerbaijan, Mukhtar Babayev, has expressed his delight and confidence in Ethiopia being chosen to host the 32nd UN Climate Change Conference (COP32) in 2027.

Babayev shared his remarks following a bilateral meeting with Dr. Fitsum Assefa, Ethiopia's Minister of Planning and Development, on the sidelines of the ongoing Global Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil.

Mukhtar Babayev, who served as President of COP29, stated, "We are delighted that Ethiopia has been chosen to host COP32, and we are confident that they will achieve success."

Highlighting the host city’s credentials, the president told the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) after the discussion:

"We know that Addis Ababa is a city that is growing and becoming truly beautiful. We are pleased with the selection of the African diplomatic center, a nation that has successfully hosted major international conferences and, crucially, is capable of receiving guests with its highly regarded airline."

President Babayev further pledged Azerbaijan's support, adding that they are "ready to stand by Ethiopia and provide all-round support during the process of preparing for the event."

On her part, Minister Dr. Fitsum Assefa described the discussion as "extremely beneficial and a gateway to drawing lessons and experience" for their preparatory work on COP32.

The minister acknowledged that Azerbaijan's COP was highly successful and emphasized the value of the exchange. "Given the strong relationship between our two countries, Azerbaijan's positive intention to stand with Ethiopia and offer support will contribute significantly to the success of our journey," she said.

Dr. Fitsum concluded that the fruitful discussion on learning from Azerbaijan's experience would "help the COP32 that Ethiopia is preparing to host to be superior in many ways."