BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 6. When discussing bilateral relations between states, it is customary to focus on institutions, agreements, and mechanisms of cooperation. All of this is undoubtedly important. But in the case of Azerbaijan and Georgia, there is another factor that is no less significant - the human one. More precisely, the factor of specific leaders whose personal contacts, mutual trust, and alignment of strategic priorities give these relations a dynamism that is difficult to explain by the logic of mutual benefit alone.
The two countries are strategic partners and actively cooperate both bilaterally and within international projects. That is true. But for strategic partnership not to remain a mere declaration, political will at the highest level is required. And this is precisely where the role of Ilham Aliyev is hard to overestimate.
Over more than twenty years, Aliyev has shaped Azerbaijan’s foreign policy as a system of long-term priorities: transport corridors, energy, and geopolitical neutrality that allows cooperation with a wide range of partners. Within this framework, Georgia occupies one of the central places - not by geographic coincidence, but as a result of a deliberate choice. Joint oil and gas projects form the basis of energy security for many countries, and today Azerbaijan exports its natural gas to numerous countries via transit through Georgia, with exports increasing every year - as Ilham Aliyev himself stated after talks with the Georgian prime minister in early 2025. Behind this statement lie years of infrastructure investment, political agreements, and mutual trust.
After the parliamentary elections in Georgia in autumn 2024, when a new government was formed under Irakli Kobakhidze, the dynamics of bilateral contacts noticeably accelerated. The President of Azerbaijan congratulated Kobakhidze on the victory of the “Georgian Dream” party, noting that the election results demonstrated Georgian citizens’ support for stability, and invited him to Baku. The invitation was accepted immediately: on January 17, 2025, Irakli Kobakhidze made his first post-election foreign visit to Azerbaijan. The choice of the first destination after reelection always speaks volumes about priorities. With this choice, Tbilisi said a great deal.
At a joint press conference, Irakli Kobakhidze called Ilham Aliyev "unique leader in the region and a role model,” and also noted that Georgia and Azerbaijan successfully play the role of a bridge between Europe and Asia. In response, the Azerbaijani leader stated that Azerbaijani–Georgian political relations could serve as an example for all neighbors. Two leaders who see partnership in the same way are a rarity - and one with very practical significance.
The leadership factor is most clearly evident in major infrastructure initiatives. Thanks in large part to Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has become a key hub of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route - the Middle Corridor - linking China with Europe via the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus, and the Black Sea. Within this project, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan are forming a unified railway company that will handle cargo flows from China on a one-stop-shop basis. For such a structure to function, consistent political leadership is required - and that is what these leaders provide.
An even more telling example is the Black Sea Energy project - a 1,195-kilometer underwater electricity cable along the bed of the Black Sea. In May 2024, energy operators from Azerbaijan, Romania, Georgia, and Hungary signed a memorandum to establish the Green Energy Corridor joint venture. At the initial stage, the cable is designed to export 4 GW of “green” energy; construction is estimated at €3.5 billion, and the European Commission plans to allocate €2.3 billion to the project. In December 2025, the European Commission officially granted the project PMI (Project of Mutual Interest) status. Georgia is a full participant and beneficiary in this structure. The fact that the project has materialized now is largely explained by the presence of people on both shores ready to promote it.
Following the 2024 parliamentary elections, President Ilham Aliyev repeatedly received Georgian officials in Baku, including Irakli Kobakhidze himself, President Mikheil Kavelashvili, and members of the cabinet. Meetings also took place on the sidelines of various international events abroad. Such intensity of contact reflects practical necessity: too many joint projects are in an active phase for communication to be limited to annual summits.
At recent meetings, the sides agreed to continue work on new strategic projects and to take effective steps toward developing the strategic infrastructure of both countries and enhancing connectivity between them. Behind these formulations are specific technical commissions, interagency groups, and investment decisions. In January 2025, the 10th meeting of Azerbaijan-Georgia Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation took place, and the very fact that this mechanism has functioned continuously for ten years speaks to its real demand and effectiveness.
Ilham Aliyev consistently views Georgia as the western gateway for Azerbaijan’s corridors to the Black Sea and to the broader system of trade and energy links. Kobakhidze sees Azerbaijan as a reliable and predictable partner in a region where predictability is a scarce resource. Both leaders understand that their countries cannot, on their own, realize the Middle Corridor, green energy transit to Europe, or large-scale transport hubs. This shared understanding is today the main driving force behind Azerbaijani–Georgian relations.