Ilham Aliyev at COP31 Leaders’ Summit in Antalya as Erdoğan Thanks Azerbaijan for Sharing COP Presidency Experience
Antalya, The Gulf Observer: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the Leaders’ Summit of the 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), held on November 11 in Antalya, Türkiye. The presence of Ilham Aliyev at COP31 drew attention as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan publicly thanked Azerbaijan for sharing the experience it gained during its COP presidency.
President Aliyev was accompanied at the event by First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and their daughter, Leyla Aliyeva.
Warm Welcome at the Antalya Expo Center
The head of state arrived at the Expo Center in Antalya to take part in the Summit, where he was welcomed by President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The two leaders also greeted other heads of state and government, as well as the heads of delegations participating in the Summit.
The participants of the Leaders’ Summit then posed for a group photo before the proceedings formally opened with a cultural programme.
Global Leaders Address the Summit
The opening session featured speeches by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed Ali, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Erdoğan Acknowledges Azerbaijan’s COP29 Legacy
In his address, President Erdoğan expressed his gratitude to Azerbaijan and Brazil for sharing the experiences gained during their respective COP presidencies, a gesture recognising the continuity of leadership in global climate diplomacy.
Azerbaijan hosted COP29 in Baku in November 2024, while Brazil hosted COP30 in Belém in November 2025. The knowledge and practices developed under both presidencies have helped inform preparations for COP31, as Türkiye now takes forward the global climate agenda.
Strong Azerbaijan-Türkiye Partnership
President Aliyev’s participation in the Antalya Summit also reflects the close fraternal ties between Azerbaijan and Türkiye, two countries that regularly coordinate on regional and international platforms. Azerbaijan’s engagement at COP31 underscores its continued commitment to international climate cooperation following its own term at the helm of the UN climate process.
The Leaders’ Summit brought together heads of state and government from around the world to strengthen international cooperation and accelerate collective action on climate change, as COP31 continues in Antalya.
