BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 2. Baku and Brussels expand cooperation agenda, political analyst Azer Garayev told Trend.
"The visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Baku on July 1 can be seen as the beginning of a new phase in Azerbaijan-European Union relations. Baku and Brussels once again demonstrated their intention to enrich the strategic partnership with new content by expanding the agenda of cooperation," he explained.
According to him, although energy cooperation between the parties has remained the main direction in recent years, today the relationship is already turning into a multifaceted strategic partnership model, encompassing transport, regional connections, "green energy", digital transformation, trade, and the peace agenda in the South Caucasus.
"The meetings held and statements made during the visit showed that the dialogue between Baku and Brussels is aimed not only at continuing existing projects, but also at forming cooperation mechanisms in line with new geopolitical realities. As President Ilham Aliyev emphasized, the successive visits of high-level representatives of the European Union to Azerbaijan in recent months show that the dynamics observed in relations are not accidental. In this context, the visit of the President of the European Commission to Baku demonstrated that political dialogue is being continued at the highest level. The parties did not limit themselves to assessing existing cooperation, but also determined strategic directions for the coming decades," he noted.
Garayev noted that the importance of Azerbaijan for the European Union is primarily related to energy security.
"The Strategic Partnership Memorandum signed in 2022 became an important turning point in terms of diversifying Europe's energy sources. The increase in the share of Azerbaijani gas in the European market over the past four years has revealed the practical result of this cooperation. Currently, Azerbaijani gas is exported to ten member states of the European Union, and there is potential for further expansion of this geography. President Ilham Aliyev has drawn special attention to this issue in his speech.
"Energy security for every country is today a very important factor of national security, and Azerbaijan has invested a lot of its political efforts, diplomatic activity, and also financial investments in building infrastructure for the transportation of our oil and gas," the head of state said. This statement shows that Azerbaijan's energy policy is not only economic, but also geopolitical in nature. Baku has strengthened its status as a reliable partner in Europe's energy security through the large infrastructure projects it has implemented over the years, in particular the Southern Gas Corridor. Against the backdrop of new challenges emerging in the European energy market, the importance of this cooperation is increasing," Garayev noted.
The analyst pointed out that one of the striking aspects of the visit is that the energy agenda is no longer limited to natural gas.
"Azerbaijan is rapidly expanding the production of green energy. As President Ilham Aliyev announced, the contracts already signed will allow the country to produce 8 gigawatts of solar and wind energy in the next five to six years. This shows that Azerbaijan can play an important role in the European market in the future not only as a gas exporter, but also as a renewable energy exporter. Cooperation in the field of transport and logistics is also entering a new stage. Azerbaijan has been one of the main participants in the East-West and North-South international transport corridors for many years. The growing importance of the Central Corridor in the new geopolitical context has also drawn the attention of the European Union to the South Caucasus. The Baku port, railway infrastructure, and regional logistics capabilities play an important role in the development of alternative trade routes between Europe and Central Asia.
It's in this context that the new initiatives announced by Ursula von der Leyen during her visit are noteworthy. The European Union has announced that it will allocate up to 200 million euro in grants for transport, energy, and digital connectivity projects in the South Caucasus under the Global Gateway program, which has the potential to attract up to 2 billion euro in additional public and private investment. The President of the European Commission expressed this in his speech: "We want to strengthen peace through connectivity."
This approach shows that Brussels associates ensuring stability in the region not only with political negotiations, but also with increasing economic integration and interdependence. The development of transport, energy, and digital infrastructure can both expand economic opportunities and create additional grounds for long-term peace," Garayev said.
According to him, another important topic discussed during the visit was the normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations.
"President Ilham Aliyev said that we have taken many unilateral steps to demonstrate that peace is not only on paper, but also in everyday life. The removal of transit restrictions towards Armenia, the start of fuel supplies, and the formation of economic ties serve to create a new model of cooperation in the region. President Ilham Aliyev expressed this point as follows: "So now peace is a reality, but we must work hard in order to strengthen it, to make it long-lasting, to make it eternal."
This idea reflects the essence of Azerbaijan's approach to the peace agenda. For official Baku, peace is not just a political document, but a process of economic cooperation, regional integration, and the formation of mutual trust. The fact that the European Union also declared its readiness to provide support in this direction demonstrates that the views of the parties coincide on many issues," the analyst said.
Garayev noted that trade relations also remain one of the important pillars of cooperation.
"The European Union is Azerbaijan's main trade partner, and Azerbaijan is considered the EU's largest economic partner in the South Caucasus. The prospect of resuming negotiations on a new comprehensive agreement indicates that economic relations will further expand. This is of great importance in terms of increasing investments, expanding access to markets, and developing the business environment.
"In general, Ursula von der Leyen's visit to Baku showed that relations between Azerbaijan and the European Union are no longer limited to energy cooperation. The parties are further strengthening the foundations of a long-term strategic partnership in the areas of regional transport routes, green energy, digital connections, economic integration, and ensuring sustainable peace in the South Caucasus. In the current geopolitical conditions, Azerbaijan's role as both an energy supplier and an important logistics hub connecting Europe and Asia increasingly grows. The messages voiced in Baku on July 1 showed that the agenda of this partnership will be broader and more comprehensive in the coming years," the analyst added.
