11:38, 8 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. Russia intends to block European Union countries from hosting next year's UN international climate negotiations, according to internal emails seen by Reuters, a potential setback for EU-member Bulgaria's competition with Armenia and Azerbaijan to draw the COP29.

Armenia and Bulgaria had put themselves forward to host the summit.

Azerbaijan added its name to the running this week.

Rights to host the gatherings rotate between the United Nations' five global regions, with Eastern Europe hosting in 2024. The 23 countries in that region must select their host candidate unanimously. If Russia vetoed all EU countries, then Armenia or Azerbaijan could still be in the running, Reuters reported.

Russia's delegation to the UN climate body (the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or UNFCCC) sent an email to other Eastern European country representatives in April in which it said it would not support an EU host.