Azerbaijan`s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has met with a delegation led by Antonella Bassani, the World Bank Vice President for the Europe and Central Asia Region.
During the meeting, the sides discussed prospects for cooperation between Azerbaijan and the World Bank, as well as issues related to hosting the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Azerbaijan this year.
Minister Jeyhun Bayramov hailed the successful and ongoing projects in various areas of the country, including the economy, agriculture, energy security, transportation, communication, and infrastructure, adding these projects will make a pivotal contribution to the development of bilateral cooperation. He emphasized that cooperation within the World Bank would also give an impetus to expanding Azerbaijan`s relations with other regional and international financial organizations.
Highlighting the substantive negotiations within Azerbaijan`s presidency of COP29 and the preparations for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, FM Bayramov underscored that the chairmanship is primarily aimed at attracting financial resources and investments to combat global climate change. In this context, he stated that the World Bank can play an important role as a platform for facilitating contacts aimed at determining the potential contribution, not only of states but also of international financial institutions, to the process.
Touching upon the large-scale restoration and reconstruction efforts in the liberated territories, the FM noted that the work simultaneously aims at the rational usage of the potential of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur regions in the field of alternative energy. “Some foreign partners have already been attracted to relevant projects.”
World Bank Vice President for the Europe and Central Asia Region Antonella Bassani congratulated Azerbaijan on its chairmanship of COP29 and expressed confidence that the country would demonstrate successful leadership. She also expressed hope that Azerbaijan, in line with the priorities of the presidency, would enhance cooperation with international financial institutions.
She stressed the importance of taking steps to fulfill global commitments established within the framework of COP29 and expressed the World Bank’s eagerness to support initiatives in this sphere.
The sides also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.
