BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 21. The visit of Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs to Azerbaijan on April 21-23 and the Latvian-Azerbaijani business forum are taking place against the backdrop of actively expanding bilateral cooperation. Today, Azerbaijan and Latvia are developing a strategic rapprochement between the Baltic region and the South Caucasus, establishing a new level of political dialogue, economic cooperation, and interregional connectivity in a changing geopolitical reality.
Azerbaijan and Latvia are creating a cooperation model that combines political trust, institutional resilience, and growing business interest in practical projects in logistics, energy, digitalization, and infrastructure rehabilitation.
As the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Baiba Braže emphasized in an exclusive interview with Trend, relations between the two countries have long reached a qualitatively new level.
“Moreover, since 2017 these relations have been elevated to the level of a strategic partnership, reflecting a high degree of mutual trust and understanding. In the current turbulent geopolitical environment, the importance of such strategic relations cannot be underestimated," she said.
According to her, the cooperation encompasses a wide range of directions - from political dialogue to economic and people-to-people contacts.
"Relations between Latvia and Azerbaijan are traditionally close and constructive, encompassing excellent political dialogue, inter-parliamentary exchanges, sectoral cooperation, economic and people-to-people contacts," she said.
According to Braže, the shared commitment to the principles of international law is of particular importance.
"We share a common understanding of the importance of the UN Charter, namely multilateralism, international law, and the rules-based international order, as well as respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of independent states," the minister explained.
Latvia also underscores its role as the European Union (EU) country in fostering practical cooperation between Azerbaijan and EU.
“We also commend the positive dynamics in the EU – Azerbaijan relations, where Latvia, as an EU Member State, is engaged in fostering closer dialogue and practical cooperation for mutually beneficial engagement,” she noted.
The economic dimension of relations demonstrates steady growth and diversification.
From January through March of this year, mutual trade volume amounted to $6 million, reflecting a growth of 14% compared to the same period last year. Azerbaijani exports totaled $1.8 million, while supplies from Latvia reached $4.27 million, an increase of 27.1%.
Direct Latvian investment in the Azerbaijani economy in 2025 amounted to $6.945 million, confirming the growing interest of Latvian businesses in the region.
A key political and economic event was the 9th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission in Shusha, where the parties reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation. The signing of the final protocol on April 16, 2026, solidified the institutional framework for cooperation and outlined a wide range of promising areas: from agro-processing and forestry to digital government and aviation logistics.
The importance of trade diversification, expanding investment opportunities, developing ICT, transport infrastructure, and educational exchanges is emphasized.
Transport and logistics cooperation remains one of the most promising areas, particularly in the context of developing the Middle Corridor.
Latvia views Azerbaijan as a key partner in the South Caucasus and a transit hub between Asia and Europe. According to Latvia, the development of multimodal routes through the Caspian region opens new opportunities for integrating Latvia's port infrastructure into Eurasian supply chains.
The development of Riga Airport as a regional cargo hub, as well as the integration of Latvian ports into expanded logistics routes are of particular interest. Latvia also emphasizes the potential for digitalization of transport and customs processes as a key factor in improving the corridor's efficiency.
Latvian companies are increasingly showing interest in Azerbaijan in the areas of digital technology, agribusiness, food processing, education, and professional services.
Institutional mechanisms for interaction are becoming particularly important. The signing of a memorandum in October 2025 between the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, ASK, the Caspian Energy Club, and the Nordic Business Community Azerbaijan created a new platform for business dialogue.
Furthermore, green energy is becoming a key new area of cooperation. Latvia views Azerbaijan as a promising partner in the development of solar and wind energy, as well as in research and technology exchange. Ensuring investment in sustainable energy capacity, particularly wind and solar power generation, is considered a strategic priority.
Regional stability is of particular importance in the new cooperation architecture.
Latvia commends the agreements reached on August 8, 2025, in Washington.
“They mark a significant breakthrough to end decades of conflict," the minister announced.
She stressed that the peace treaty will open new opportunities for regional cooperation and connectivity with Europe.
Latvia expresses its willingness to participate in restoration projects in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. These include green energy zones, water and waste management, infrastructure rehabilitation, the design and restoration of cultural sites, and reforestation. The forestry sector is of particular interest. It is worth noting that 53% of Latvia's territory is covered by forests, and the country has extensive experience in reforestation. Latvia is open to investing in forestry in Azerbaijan.
Thus, the current stage of relations between Azerbaijan and Latvia is characterized by a transition from a framework strategic partnership to practical economic integration.
The ongoing dynamic of cooperation cements a new phase of interaction, in which political dialogue is directly translated into investment projects, infrastructure solutions, and technological cooperation.
In the context of the transformation of the international and regional architecture, Azerbaijan and Latvia are developing a strategic rapprochement between the Baltic region and the South Caucasus, strengthening the role of bilateral partnership as a link between the two regions and creating a basis for more practice-oriented and multifaceted cooperation in the future.