BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 13. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev's visit to Dublin on November 12, 2026, has once again shown the importance of Azerbaijan's position in Europe, political analyst Azer Garayev told Trend.
According to him, the visit was marked by significant developments aimed at expanding Azerbaijan’s cooperation with Europe in the political, economic, and energy spheres.
Garayev said that key outcomes of the visit included President Ilham Aliyev’s participation in the 9th Summit of the European Political Community, his meetings with leaders of European countries, his contacts with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and the adoption of a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership with the UK.
“The meetings in Dublin once again demonstrated Azerbaijan’s growing role within the system of international relations, its position regarding Europe’s energy security, and its significance in advancing the peace agenda in the South Caucasus. The notable aspect of the visit was that the discussions weren’t limited to traditional energy cooperation but also covered such areas as transport connectivity, investment, the defense industry, digital technologies, and regional security.
President Ilham Aliyev participated in the 9th Summit of the European Political Community, held in Dublin at the invitation of Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and President of the European Council António Costa. The summit, themed ‘Europe – Strong, Secure, and Connected,’ brought together nearly 50 heads of state and government. The event's agenda included building a competitive economy, promoting innovation, developing transport connectivity, ensuring accessible energy, and addressing European security and defense.
President Ilham Aliyev's participation in the summit served as an indication of our country's involvement in discussions on issues of significance to Europe. Azerbaijan's geographical location, energy resources, transport infrastructure, and the new economic ties taking shape in the region make our country a key participant in cooperation between Europe and Asia," the analyst noted.
According to him, during a roundtable discussion entitled "Building a Competitive Europe - Innovation, Connectivity, and Affordable Energy" as part of the summit, President Ilham Aliyev spoke about Azerbaijan’s contributions to Europe’s energy security.
"President Ilham Aliyev stated that following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on a strategic partnership in the energy sector between Azerbaijan and the European Union in 2022, gas supplies to the European Union have increased from 8 billion cubic meters to 13 billion cubic meters annually. This volume accounts for approximately half of Azerbaijan's total gas exports.
President Ilham Aliyev also highlighted that the pipeline system, which extends from Baku to Italy, traverses seven countries, and supplies gas to 10 European Union member states, is operating at full capacity. Noting that transmission capacity toward Greece and Italy has been raised from 10 billion to 11.2 billion cubic meters, President Ilham Aliyev also addressed the potential for increasing gas supplies in the future.
These figures are concrete indicators of Azerbaijan's position in the European energy market. At the same time, our country's cooperation agenda is not limited to traditional energy resources. The development of renewable energy potential, green energy projects, and new export routes also represent promising areas for the Azerbaijan-Europe partnership," he noted.
Garayev remarked that one of the most significant political outcomes of the visit was the adoption of a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership with the UK.
“On November 12, President Ilham Aliyev exchanged the document during a meeting with the Prime Minister of the UK, Andy Burnham. The parties emphasized that this step officially elevates bilateral relations to a qualitatively new level. The document covers three main areas: defense and security; trade, investment, and economic growth; and education and innovation. It encompasses cooperation in the defense industry, between law enforcement agencies, the development of the Middle Corridor, renewable energy, green finance, artificial intelligence, digitalization, and scientific research. Furthermore, the parties agreed to hold annual Strategic Partnership meetings to evaluate the implementation of the declaration and define future priorities.
The document’s reaffirmation of the UK’s support for Azerbaijan’s efforts to achieve a lasting peace with Armenia also has particular significance. This indicates that London’s position regarding the assurance of peace and stability in the South Caucasus has been defined as one of the key aspects of bilateral relations.
During the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that the UK is the largest European investor in Azerbaijan and that cooperation in the energy sector spans more than 30 years. Furthermore, new opportunities in the fields of renewable energy, high technologies, and artificial intelligence were highlighted," Garayev noted.
The analyst stressed that another significant aspect of the visit to Dublin involved bilateral meetings held with the leaders of European countries.
“President Ilham Aliyev held meetings with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Moldova Maia Sandu, Prime Minister of Bulgaria Rumen Radev, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Andrej Babiš, President of Romania Nicușor Dan, President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda, and President of the European Council António Costa.
During the meeting with the President of Ukraine, discussions focused on the expansion of economic and trade relations, the involvement of the private sector, and reciprocal visits. Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude for Azerbaijan’s humanitarian aid to Ukraine, particularly the supply of electrical equipment. He also pointed out that the restoration and reconstruction efforts underway in Karabakh and East Zangezur could serve as a valuable experience for Ukraine as well.
During the meeting with the President of Moldova, cooperation in the fields of energy security, economic and trade relations, and agriculture took center stage. In discussions with the leaders of Bulgaria and Greece, the focus was on Azerbaijan’s contribution to Europe’s energy security, specifically regarding gas exports, and the significance of the TAP project. Economic and trade relations with the Czech Republic, investments, and the fact that Azerbaijan is the largest oil supplier to this country were highlighted. Issues regarding the deepening of the strategic partnership with Romania, as well as cooperation in the fields of energy and transport connectivity, the defense industry, and education, were reviewed. During the meeting with the President of Lithuania, the development of political relations, economic and energy cooperation, and the expansion of ties between Azerbaijan and the European Union were discussed.
In the meeting with António Costa, it was emphasized that Azerbaijan exports gas to 10 member states of the European Union. The parties discussed the importance of long-term energy agreements and financial mechanisms, the potential for delivering renewable energy to the European market, and the development of the Middle Corridor. Information was also provided that the European Union's assessment regarding the Nakhchivan railway project will be finalized soon," Garayev noted.
According to him, one of the most notable meetings during the visit was President Ilham Aliyev’s contact with Nikol Pashinyan.
"Building upon the agreements reached in Washington on August 8, 2025, the leaders discussed advancing the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace agenda. Key topics of discussion included the development of transport and transit links, economic and trade relations, border delimitation, and confidence-building measures.
The significance of this meeting lies in the fact that it demonstrates Azerbaijan's direct participation in the regional peace process and shows that the agenda is evolving around practical issues. In particular, the discussion of transport and transit matters is noteworthy in the context of the region's future economic architecture.
Overall, President Ilham Aliyev's visit to Dublin yielded several significant outcomes. Azerbaijan continued its active participation in Europe’s political dialogue, demonstrated its position as a partner in the field of energy security through concrete indicators, elevated its relations with the UK to a new strategic framework, and held significant discussions aimed at expanding bilateral cooperation with European countries.
Most importantly, the significance of Azerbaijan to Europe is expanding across various spheres. The country’s role, as an energy supplier, a participant in East-West transport links, and a key party to the peace agenda in the South Caucasus, was clearly reflected during the engagements in Dublin. In this regard, the visit can be considered a significant political event, as it paves the way for new opportunities for cooperation in Azerbaijan’s relations with Europe and allows existing partnerships to take on a broader scope," added Garayev.
