President's Office spokesperson Mariann Sudakov said: "President Karis will not participate in the COP29 climate change conference. Estonia will be represented at COP by Climate Minister Yoko Alender."

She explained why Alender is the right person to lead Estonia's climate negotiations.

"She is precisely the right person to lead Estonia's climate negotiations, where global climate goals and the necessary actions to achieve them are to be agreed upon, as it is the climate minister who takes the lead in Estonia's climate policy, and is qualified to make commitments and promises on behalf of our state."

The prime minister's spokesperson, Rasmus Ruuda, confirmed the government's representation at the event, saying: "The government is being represented at COP by the climate minister."

Other officials and a business delegation will represent Estonia in Baku.

Neither the head of state nor the head of government, nor their spokespersons, would be drawn on whether the presence of either Russian leader Vladimir Putin or Belarus' Alexander Lukashenko in Baku influenced their decision.

Their attendance in Baku has not yet been officially confirmed, but at last year's COP28 summit in Dubai, former-Prime Minister Kaja Kallas faced heavy criticism after appearing in a group photograph in which Lukashenko also appeared.

Michal was climate minister at the time and was also in Dubai for COP28.

This time around in Baku, Estonia will not be taking part in the heads of state meeting at COP, due to the head of state not being present

Estonia's delegation is to focus on climate negotiations.

Marina Bantšenko, advisor at the ministry's foreign relations department, outlined the primary goal of COP29 by saying: "The main goal of this year's COP is to agree on a new international climate financing target, which will take effect starting in 2026."

She added: "The new target is a logical continuation of the goal agreed on in 2009, which allocates US$100 billion annually to help developing countries adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change until 2025."

COP29's primary stated aims include accelerating the equitable phase-out of fossil fuels to achieve net zero by 2050 or sooner, and transitioning to renewable energy, as well as investing in financial flows relating to climate.

Estonia has been voluntarily contributing to climate funding since acceding to the Paris Agreement and has increased its contributions over the years.

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