Baku, November 17, AZERTAC

On November 17, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with the U.S. delegation led by August Pfluger, a member of the House of Representatives.

The head of state said that COP29 was a success, noting that although the negotiations on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement have been held for more than 10 years, significant progress in this regard was made on the first day of COP29. President Ilham Aliyev noted that COP29 was dedicated to finance, and a new climate finance target was expected to be defined. The Azerbaijani leader pointed out that the international community is also waiting for that. The President of Azerbaijan described the climate finance statements by international financial and banking institutions as a reassuring step in this direction.

The US delegation praised Azerbaijan for the successful hosting of COP29.

During the meeting, they exchanged views on the US-Azerbaijan cooperation, as well as Azerbaijan’s green transition strategy.

They also touched upon the US support for Azerbaijan in the development of the country’s energy strategy after the restoration of Azerbaijan's independence.

August Pfluger thanked the head of state for receiving the delegation on behalf of Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Noting that he was pleased with the visit to Azerbaijan, August Pfluger said he is ready to contribute to the development of US-Azerbaijan cooperation.

The head of state noted the successful and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in various fields in the past 30 years.

President Ilham Aliyev touched upon the “Contract of the Century” signed in 1994, reflected on the US government's support for this project and said that this contract had contributed to the energy security of the United States and its allies. The President added that energy cooperation had been strengthened over this period.

On the Azerbaijan's green energy strategy, the head of state said that Azerbaijan had increased its renewable energy generation capacity together with international partners, noting that green energy would account for 30 percent of Azerbaijan's energy mix by 2027.

Touching upon Azerbaijan’s renewable energy potential and the scheduled Black Sea submarine electricity cable project, President Ilham Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan was cooperating with countries of the region such as Georgia, Romania and Hungary on this project. The head of state also spoke about cooperation in the field of green energy with Central Asia nations through the Caspian Sea, the document on the development and transmission of green energy between Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan signed on the sidelines of COP29. The President noted that Azerbaijan, together with countries of the region, is working on the creation of a green energy corridor linking the Caspian and Black Sea basins.

President Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan has tremendous wind energy potential in the Caspian Sea, adding that the country was also developing its hydropower resources. He said that large volumes of energy were to be generated in this segment as well. The head of state said that Azerbaijan would be able to export 4 gigawatts of renewable energy to the European Union market in the near future, noting that the European Union’s energy demand is increasing.

During the conversation, they mentioned great prospects for cooperation in the field of renewable energy between Azerbaijan and the United States.

President Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan was committed to the regional peace agenda, noting that it was Azerbaijan that initiated the signing of the peace agreement.

Stating that Azerbaijan was subjected to occupation and military aggression from Armenia for thirty years, the President said that Azerbaijan had now restored its territorial integrity and sovereignty. He said the conflict was already consigned to history for Azerbaijan.

The President of Azerbaijan stressed that Armenia's policy of militarization and arms race were a threat to regional peace and security. He said it was important that the territorial claims against Azerbaijan in the Armenian Constitution should be abandoned for the peace treaty to be signed. He said Armenia must not have territorial claims against Azerbaijan on a constitutional basis.

During the conversation, they exchanged views on regional and international issues.

Discussions at the meeting also revolved around stepping up the dialogue between the U.S. Congress and Azerbaijan, increasing reciprocal visits, prospects for the development of cooperation and partnership between Azerbaijan and the U.S. in various fields.