Paris: Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Yalchin Rafiyev visited Paris, France, where he participated in significant discussions and events aimed at enhancing international cooperation on climate change and energy transition.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, during his visit from April 30 to May 1, Rafiyev was a keynote speaker at the 'IEA-COP31: High-Level Energy Transition' event. The session was organized by the International Energy Agency and the COP31 Presidency.

In conjunction with the visit, a business event was held at UNESCO to commemorate the International Day of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) on April 25. This event was organized by the Permanent Delegation of Azerbaijan. Rafiyev highlighted the strong ties between Azerbaijan and SIDS, underlining President Ilham Aliyev's dedication to supporting small island nations through international development assistance.

Permanent representatives from SIDS countries to UNESCO acknowledged the importance of the historic decisions made during COP29 under Azerbaijan's presidency. These decisions are crucial for SIDS nations, which are particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change. The representatives expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan for its ongoing support.

An agreement was reached at the event for a collaborative program to address climate change challenges. This initiative will be implemented by Azerbaijan, UNESCO, and the SIDS group, which includes 39 countries. Additionally, Rafiyev held discussions with Turkey's COP31 Presidency leadership to discuss preparations for the upcoming COP31 conference set to take place in Antalya.