President Paudel departs from Baku

KATHMANDU: President Ram Chandra Paudel, who attended the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP-29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Baku, Azerbaijan, departed today for Nepal.

The conference, which started on Nov 11, will continue until Nov 22.

The president will return to Nepal via Doha, Qatar.

At Baku’s Heydar Aliyev International Airport, Health Minister Teymur Musayev bid farewell to President Paudel. The president had arrived in Baku on Monday at the invitation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to participate in the conference.

The delegation included First Lady Sabita Paudel, Minister for Forests and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri, presidential advisors, and senior government officials.

On Tuesday, President Paudel addressed the “World Leaders’ Climate Action Summit” during a high-level session at COP-29. In his speech, he called on the global community to recognize that the protection of the Himalayas is integral to the protection of the Earth.

He emphasized that the transformation of the snow-capped Himalayan peaks into barren mountains not only affects the mountainous countries but also endangers low-lying coastal nations.

During the same day, President Paudel met with Maldives President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu in Baku, where they discussed the impacts of climate change on their nations.

Both leaders agreed on the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation and working together in climate negotiations. They also stressed the need for joint efforts to secure financial and technical support for countries like theirs.

On Wednesday, Nepal organized a separate high-level session led by President Paudel to highlight its climate agenda at COP-29. President Paudel addressed the roundtable discussion on “Addressing Climate Change Loss and Damage in Mountainous Regions.”

That same day, President Paudel also spoke at a climate event organized by Kyrgyzstan, where he emphasized that addressing the climate-related challenges faced by vulnerable populations requires an integrated approach that combines climate issues and poverty alleviation programs.

Later, in a collective meeting with heads of state and government from least developed countries, hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, President Paudel urged developed countries to provide grants to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on Nepal.

The theme of COP-29 is “New Collective Quantified Goals (NCQG).” The conference will conclude on Nov 22. President Paudel had left Kathmandu for Doha on Nov 10 to attend the summit.