Azerbaijan looks set to host next year's COP29 climate change summit, after winning backing from other Eastern European nations on Saturday. Countries from the Eastern European region, which is due to host next year's summit, backed Baku's bid during the COP28 summit in Dubai, unblocking a geopolitical deadlock over the next global gathering to address climate change.

The decision on a host had been held up after Russia said it would veto any European Union country's bid to be the host. The EU has imposed sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

With Bulgaria formally withdrawing its candidacy in the face of Russian opposition, the way is now open for Azerbaijan to host the next UN COP29 climate summit. Additionally, Armenia has also abandoned its bid for COP29, stating in a Thursday announcement that it is a "sign of good gesture" aimed at facilitating talks to resolve its conflict with Azerbaijan.

"We're very grateful to all countries in particular to the Eastern European group and the [COP28 summit] host United Arab Emirates for their support," the country's ecology minister Mukhtar Babayev told the COP28 summit.

Baku's bid still needs formal approval from the nearly 200 countries present at the COP28 talks, but delegates said on Saturday they expect that vote to be a formality.

The resolution of the months-long geopolitical impasse on the venue for the upcoming annual U.N. climate summit has shifted attention to Azerbaijan's oil production and its human rights record.

Zhala Bayramova, daughter of anti-corruption researcher Gubad Ibadoghlu, who was jailed in Azerbaijan after criticizing the country's oil and gas industry, told Reuters that she was appalled at the decision.

"He is risking his life for this work," Bayramova said. "This work is quite meaningless when you have COP29 hosted in Azerbaijan."

"Having COP29 gives legitimacy to the government," Bayramova added.

Baku's relations with some Western countries have deteriorated since September, when Baku regained full control of the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, prompting an almost total exodus of the territory's ethnic Armenian population.

The appointment of Sultan al-Jaber, the president of the United Arab Emirates state-run oil corporation ADNOC, as the president of the COP28 conference this year has sparked criticism.

Hoisting the U.N. climate summit bestows significant influence on a country regarding the agenda and outcomes of the event. The COP28 summit in the UAE has been the biggest yet, with more than 90,000 delegates registered.

Typically, decisions on hosting such events are made years in advance to allow ample time for preparation. Aykhan Hajizada, a spokesperson at Azerbaijan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed to Reuters on Friday that Baku is well-prepared to host the event.

However, when Azerbaijan's bid was initially reported on Thursday, concerns were raised about holding global climate talks in another oil-producing nation. Azerbaijan, being an oil and gas producer and a member of OPEC+, has prompted discussions about the appropriateness of such a venue for global climate discussions.

Image source: AP