Dubai, 9 December 2023 (dpa/MIA) — Next year's United Nations climate conference is to be held in Azerbaijan, another oil-producing state, as the talks currently held in Dubai approach an end.

"I am delighted to announce that there is overall support for Azerbaijan's candidature to host COP29," said Azerbaijan's environment minister, Mukhtar Babayev, at the plenary session.

Armenia had earlier blocked its neighbour's candidacy but then lent Baku its support, amid a rapprochement between the two hostile states.

The host country of the COP normally rotates among the five United Nations regional groups, namely the African Group, the Asia-Pacific Group, the Eastern Europe Group, the Latin American and Caribbean Group and the Western European and Others Group.

Russia welcomed the agreement on Azerbaijan.

However, environmental organization Germanwatch criticized the decision. "The fact that Azerbaijan, after Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, is another oil state to lead the climate negotiations is highly problematic," said political director Christoph Bals. He also pointed to major problems with corruption.