BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 2. Azerbaijan-EU relations have entered a new stage of strategic partnership.
This was announced by Trend News Agency's Deputy Director, political analyst Sahil Karimli.
"The successive visits of the top leadership of the European Union to Azerbaijan in a short period of time are not only a diplomatic protocol event, but also an indicator of the new geopolitical reality taking shape in Brussels' South Caucasus policy. The arrival of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in Baku after the visit of the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, demonstrates that Azerbaijan-EU relations have entered a qualitatively new stage. The main feature of this stage is that relations are now assessed at the level of strategic partnership," he said.
According to him, it's not a coincidence that Ursula von der Leyen openly calls Azerbaijan a strategic partner, and evaluates the country as a leading actor in the region and the main initiator of the peace agenda.
"This is an expression of the international acceptance of the consistent foreign policy implemented by Azerbaijan in recent years, the role it plays in ensuring regional security, and the pragmatic diplomatic course formulated by President Ilham Aliyev. The European Union now evaluates Azerbaijan not only as an energy supplier, but also as a reliable partner that ensures stability in a complex geopolitical space, combines its favorable geographical position with modern infrastructure capabilities, and strengthens regional ties," he noted.
Karimli pointed out that energy cooperation more clearly demonstrates the strategic essence of these relations.
"When Europe faced a serious test in terms of energy security in 2022, it turned to Azerbaijan, and Baku has since demonstrated its commitment to its partnership commitments with practical steps, increasing gas exports to the European Union by 65%. At the same time, the fact that Azerbaijan accounts for about 70% of the total trade turnover of the European Union with the countries of the South Caucasus once again confirms the economic weight of our country and its status as the main economic center of the region," he emphasized.
According to the analyst, the partnership agenda now goes beyond the traditional energy framework.
"Cooperation in the field of green energy, new corridors aimed at bringing the renewable energy potential of the Caspian Basin and Central Asia to the European market, as well as the initiative of the partnership platform on energy connectivity put forward by Ursula von der Leyen, are shaping the model of economic and geopolitical cooperation of the future. This approach shows that Azerbaijan's long-term strategic vision coincides with the priorities of the European Union," he said.
Karimli noted that another noteworthy point is the observed change in Brussels' approach to the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process.
"The 20 million euro aid package for the border areas and initiatives aimed at promoting the economic dividends of peace between the two communities show that the European Union understands that sustainable stability in the region is possible precisely on the basis of the peace agenda put forward by Azerbaijan," he explained.
The analyst highlighted that Azerbaijan's simultaneous establishment of a strategic partnership with the U.S., a comprehensive partnership with China, and strategic relations with the European Union demonstrates the success of the country's balanced and national interests-based foreign policy course.
"Today, Azerbaijan is not an object of geopolitical competition in the system of international relations, but acts as an important strategic partner capable of uniting various power centers on the basis of mutual interests. Precisely this reality is the main political factor that brings Azerbaijan-EU relations to a new stage of development," Karimli concluded.
