French Ecology Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher says she won’t participate within the COP29 local weather talks in Azerbaijan after its chief’s ‘unacceptable’ assaults on France.
French Ecology Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher has pulled out of the COP29 local weather talks in Azerbaijan after its President Ilham Aliyev accused France of finishing up colonialist “crimes” in New Caledonia, within the newest diplomatic spat between the 2 international locations.
Aliyev, who’s internet hosting the COP29 United Nations local weather talks in Baku, drew loud applause from delegates of some Pacific island nations after a combative speech wherein he lambasted Paris over the response to protests that in May rocked the Pacific archipelago dominated by France.
“The crimes of France in its so-called abroad territories wouldn’t be full with out mentioning the current human rights violations,” mentioned Aliyev.
“The regime of President [Emmanuel] Macron killed 13 folks and wounded 169… throughout official protests by the Kanak folks in New Caledonia,” he added.
Pannier-Runacher rapidly hit again, telling lawmakers in Paris that she was cancelling her journey to the talks in protest at Aliyev’s “deplorable” speech. She referred to as his assault “unacceptable… and beneath the dignity of the presidency of the COP”.
It was additionally a “flagrant violation of the code of conduct” for working United Nations local weather talks, she added.
The minister additionally criticised Aliyev for his “equally unacceptable feedback on fossil fuels” after he described his nation’s huge oil and gasoline reserves as a “reward of God”.
Regardless of her pullout, Pannier-Runacher mentioned the crew of French negotiators in Baku wouldn’t relent of their efforts to do a deal “to guard the planet and its populations” from local weather change.
Relations between Paris and Baku are frosty over France’s longtime assist for its archrival Armenia, which Azerbaijan defeated in a lightning military offensive last year when it retook the breakaway Armenian-populated area of Nagorno-Karabakh – resulting in the displacement of greater than 100,000 Armenians.
Paris this yr accused Azerbaijan of interfering in its home politics by stoking tensions in its abroad territories and dependencies, together with New Caledonia.
Macron has additionally stayed away from COP29.
Azerbaijan denies interference, however Aliyev on Wednesday rounded on France for holding Corsica and its far-flung abroad island territories “below the colonial yoke”.
Aliyev has dominated his gas-rich nation for greater than 20 years for the reason that dying of his father, Azerbaijan’s Soviet-era Communist chief and former KGB normal Heydar Aliyev.
Within the run-up to the local weather summit, Azerbaijan was broadly denounced for its human rights file and repression of political opposition.
Aliyev in his speech attacked the European Union and the Council of Europe human rights physique, calling them “symbols of political corruption that share accountability with the federal government of President Macron for the killings of harmless folks”.
He additionally mentioned that “all political prisoners of France should be liberated”.
Aliyev accused EU international coverage chief Josep Borell of getting in contrast the remainder of the world to a jungle whereas Europe was a backyard. “If we’re the jungles,” he declared, “then steer clear of us and don’t intrude in our affairs.”
