BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 26. Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov outlined Azerbaijan’s position on
strengthening multilateralism, regional peace, sustainable
development, energy security and international cooperation in his
statement at the general debate of the 81st session of the UN
General Assembly on September 25.


This is reflected in a statement by the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry.


Bayramov congratulated Khalilur Rahman on assuming the
presidency of the 81st session of the General Assembly and
expressed appreciation to UN Secretary-General António Guterres for
his efforts.


Addressing global challenges, Bayramov stressed the need for
joint action and said that restoring trust in the international
order was essential for making multilateralism more effective.


According to the minister, Azerbaijan advocates a reinvigorated
and reformed multilateral system based on the consistent and
non-selective application of universally accepted norms and
principles of international law.


He also stressed the importance of reforming the UN Security
Council to make it more representative, effective and responsive,
and said all states, including developing countries, should have an
equal opportunity to participate in global decision-making.


Speaking about the South Caucasus, Bayramov said Azerbaijan’s
efforts to establish peace and stability in the region are based on
respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and international
law.


He noted that the normalization process between Azerbaijan and
Armenia had produced what he described as historic results at the
Washington Peace Summit in August, where the leaders of the two
countries signed a Joint Declaration witnessed by US President
Donald Trump and initialed an agreement on the establishment of
peace and inter-state relations.


“Today, we have achieved de facto peace,” Bayramov said, adding
that Azerbaijan had unilaterally lifted transit restrictions and
was facilitating the transportation of goods to and from Armenia.
He also noted that bilateral trade had been established and that
Azerbaijan regularly supplies strategically important oil products
to Armenia.


The minister stressed that the remaining obstacle to finalizing
the normalization process should be eliminated through the signing
of the already initialed bilateral agreement.


Bayramov also addressed post-conflict reconstruction and the
return of former internally displaced persons to their homes in
Azerbaijan’s liberated territories.


He said large-scale reconstruction projects were underway,
including the development of “smart cities” and “smart villages”
using green technologies. According to him, more than 90,000 people
currently live, study and work in the liberated territories.


At the same time, Bayramov highlighted landmine contamination as
a major obstacle to reconstruction and the return of residents. He
said more than 400 people, including women and children, had fallen
victim to landmines since 2020, while the cumulative number of
landmine victims over the past 30 years had exceeded 3,500.


He also emphasized the importance of clarifying the fate and
whereabouts of nearly 4,000 Azerbaijanis who went missing as a
result of the conflict.


Addressing Azerbaijan’s international initiatives, Bayramov
highlighted the country’s contribution to intercultural dialogue,
international solidarity and multilateral cooperation.


He noted Azerbaijan’s hosting of major international events,
including COP29 and the 13th session of the World Urban Forum, as
well as its chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, the
Organization of Turkic States and the Conference on Interaction and
Confidence-Building Measures in Asia.


Speaking about COP29, Bayramov said the conference resulted in
several agreements, including the tripling of the global climate
finance goal and the full operationalization of Article 6
carbon-market mechanisms.


He also noted that Baku hosted UNFCCC Climate Week for the first
time in September, bringing together governments, international
organizations, the private sector and other stakeholders to advance
practical climate solutions.


According to Bayramov, Azerbaijan has provided humanitarian,
economic and technical assistance worth approximately $400 million
to more than 140 countries since 2020, with particular attention to
Small Island Developing States and African partner countries.


The minister also highlighted Azerbaijan’s commitment to the UN
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He said the country had
integrated the Sustainable Development Goals into its national
development strategies and institutional frameworks.


Bayramov noted that Azerbaijan’s GDP had tripled in less than
two decades, while the poverty rate had declined from 49 percent to
around 5 percent.


He also highlighted Azerbaijan’s ASAN and DOST models of
transparent and citizen-centered public services, saying they had
gained international recognition and were increasingly being
adopted by partner countries.


Addressing environmental issues, Bayramov expressed concern over
the continuing decline of the Caspian Sea, noting its implications
for biodiversity, livelihoods and economic activity across the
region.


On energy security, Bayramov said traditional energy sources
would remain important for development in the immediate term, while
Azerbaijan was simultaneously expanding its renewable energy
capacity.


He noted that Azerbaijan is a reliable natural gas supplier to
16 countries and plays a role in diversifying energy supplies to
Europe and beyond.


According to the minister, agreements already signed envisage
around 6 gigawatts of additional solar and wind capacity by 2030,
while renewable energy is expected to account for almost 40 percent
of Azerbaijan’s electricity generation by that year.