BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 6. Azerbaijan and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are separated by thousands of kilometers, but we are united by a common determination to build climate resilience, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in his address to the participants of the Pre-COP Leaders’ Event 2026 held in Fiji.
“We have always stood and will continue to stand in solidarity with SIDS and support them in their efforts in achieving sustainable development and tackling climate change,” the Azerbaijani President emphasized.
The Pre-COP Leaders’ Event 2026, held primarily in Tuvalu on 5-6 October with parallel sessions in Nadi, Fiji, is a high-level gathering co-hosted by Fiji, Tuvalu and Australia ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye. Bringing together leaders and ministers from more than 50 countries, the event aims to elevate Pacific priorities - including keeping the 1.5°C goal within reach, accelerating the clean energy transition, unlocking climate finance for vulnerable nations and placing the ocean at the centre of global climate action - while highlighting the real impacts of climate change on low-lying atoll nations.
