Azerbaijan deepens ties with EU as regional leader, energy partnership expands

President Ilham Aliyev’s engagement with the European Union has intensified, highlighted by his invitation to the EU’s Political Union summits in Tirana and Copenhagen last year and by recent visits from EU officials, including Council President Charles Michel and European Commission Vice‑President Kaja Kallas. The EU has recognised Azerbaijan’s growing regional leadership and its role in the South Caucasus, describing the country as a reliable energy partner.

Energy cooperation is a cornerstone of the relationship: the Southern Gas Corridor, a 3,500‑km pipeline delivering Azerbaijani gas to Europe, strengthens EU energy security. Following the 2022 memorandum on strategic partnership in the energy sector, natural‑gas exports from Azerbaijan to EU member states rose by about 65 percent. Ten EU members now import Azerbaijani gas, accounting for more than 40 percent of Azerbaijan’s foreign trade.

These developments reflect broader EU‑Azerbaijan ties, with the EU remaining Azerbaijan’s largest trade partner and the South Caucasus a key market for European goods and services.