Politics Argentina withdraws delegation from climate summit in Baku

The Argentinian government has recalled its delegation from the climate conference in Baku. President Milei's decision raises questions and causes discussion.

The Argentinian delegation, consisting of over 80 representatives, has been withdrawn from the World Climate Conference in Baku ahead of schedule. This instruction came directly from the Argentinian government on Wednesday, which asked its representatives to leave the Azerbaijani capital. The original plan was for the delegation to attend the summit for two weeks.

The news was first published by "Climática", a portal specializing in climate issues. Argentina's Secretary of State for the Environment, Ana Lamas, confirmed the decision to the Guardian. She explained: "We have instructions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to no longer participate." This decision is in line with the stance of Argentinian President Javier Milei, who denies man-made climate change and describes himself as an "anarcho-capitalist".

Phone call with Trump

On Tuesday, President Milei held a telephone conversation with US President-elect Donald Trump. According to the New York Times, Trump is preparing to withdraw the USA from the Paris climate protection agreement once again. This development has triggered speculation about possible links with the Argentinian decision.

German climate activist Luisa Neubauer expressed her suspicions about a possible connection at the climate summit in Baku. She said: "Of course, it is now in the interest of people like Trump, presumably, and everyone else to create chaos and unrest here or to give the impression that everyone is now gone." However, Neubauer emphasized that the negotiators from most countries were still present.

Reactions from civil society

Despite the absence of the Argentinian delegation, civil society remains active. Fridays for Future and Argentinian activists are calling for more determination in the negotiations. They emphasize the need to push ahead with climate protection with greater ambition in order to meet the global challenges.

SDA