Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Fariz Rzayev, speaking at the ministerial segment of the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, highlighted Baku's role as a reliable partner in the energy sector.
The deputy head of the foreign ministry was in New York from July 13-17 to attend the aforementioned event.
During the ministerial segment, Rzayev reaffirmed Azerbaijan's commitment to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and reported on progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He stated that under the "Great Return" program, smart and green cities and villages are being built in the territories liberated from occupation, with the phased return of former internally displaced persons to their native lands. He also emphasized the importance of humanitarian demining for sustainable development.
The deputy minister also noted Azerbaijan's contribution to global sustainable development through hosting COP29, the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13), as well as providing humanitarian aid and technical cooperation.
Speaking at an informal ministerial meeting of the UN General Assembly on "Taking Stock of the Current State of the Pact for the Future," Rzayev stressed the importance of orienting the Pact for the Future toward practical implementation, national priorities, and concrete results. He highlighted the importance of multilateral cooperation based on financing, technology transfer, and equal partnership for developing countries.
He also informed about Azerbaijan's role as a reliable partner in energy and transport connectivity.
Speaking at an event organized by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) within the Forum, Rzayev emphasized the important role of the Commission and the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) in promoting sustainable development and economic cooperation in the region. The deputy minister stated that Azerbaijan, as chair of the 82nd session of ESCAP, will continue to contribute to this work and noted that SPECA can support the development of practical cooperation in transport, trade, digitalization, energy, and innovation.
The deputy minister also spoke at an event titled "National Sustainable Development Goals: Unexploded Ordnance/Mine Action and Accelerating the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda Using International Legal Mechanisms." He stated that humanitarian demining has been declared Azerbaijan's 18th National Sustainable Development Goal and spoke about the threats posed by mines in the post-conflict period in the liberated territories, as well as the obstacles they create for reconstruction work and the return of internally displaced persons.
During his visit to New York, Rzayev also held meetings with deputy foreign ministers and permanent representatives to the UN from several countries, and participated in roundtable discussions with representatives of research centers.