Yerevan /Mediamax/. Mehriban Aliyeva, the spouse of Azerbaijan’s president and the country’s first vice president, also criticized “numerous Western media.”

According to Azerbaijani media, speaking at the COP29 conference on “Youth at the Forefront of Climate Action,” Mehriban Aliyeva, in particular, said:

“Azerbaijan seeks to build bridges between the Global South and the Global North, between the developed and developing world. However, instead of support and constructive dialog, in some cases, we became the subject of slander and blackmail campaigns through numerous Western media. It is evident that these media have become tools for discrediting countries that do not follow imposed scenarios or play by imposed rules - countries that pursue independent policies and defend their national interests. Some large media platforms, influenced by certain states, start spreading negative narratives about Azerbaijan upon command.”

“Our achievements deserve respect, not distortion for the geopolitical purposes of some states. Hypocrisy also manifests in how various countries set their climate commitments. Developed countries, which for centuries were the main sources of pollution and irresponsible resource consumption, now take the role of strict judges. They advocate for strong restrictions for all while simultaneously pursuing ambitious goals in their own policies and continuing to act in their own interests. They demand transformation from other countries, yet they are slow to assist financially or technologically.

Azerbaijan is a country that wants to see effective action, real solutions, and fair interaction - not manipulation and pressure. The use of media to spread and distort information, to conduct smear campaigns against countries, does not harm those countries as much as it devalues the essence of moral values, erodes trust, and creates division,” Mehriban Aliyeva stated.