EU, Azerbaijan cooperation 'intensifying,' foreign policy chief says

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – The cooperation between the European Union and Azerbaijan is growing, the EU foreign policy chief said on Tuesday.

“Azerbaijan is an important partner for the European Union and our cooperation is intensifying,” Josep Borrell said at a joint news conference with Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov following their meeting in Brussels.

Both Borrell and Bayramov welcomed the deal between the EU and Azerbaijan to double gas imports in five years.

Bayramov hailed the energy cooperation between the bloc and his country and asserted that Azerbaijan will increase the share of renewables from the current 17% to 30% by 2030 in line with the EU’s commitments toward climate neutrality.

On Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev signed a deal on doubling Azeri gas imports as part of the bloc’s efforts to decrease dependency on Russian energy.

According to the plans, Azerbaijan will deliver 12 billion cubic meters of gas next year and 20 billion cubic meters by 2027 through the Trans Adriatic Pipeline to the EU.

- Azerbaijan-Armenia reconciliation

Borrell appreciated the recent talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia in order to normalize relations, and stressed the EU is “supporting all efforts to make the South Caucasus a secure, stable and prosperous space.”

For his part, Bayramov thanked Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, for his mediation efforts.

He highlighted that the “EU plays an important role in the post-conflict period” in the relations between the two countries.

Bayramov also ruled out any other alternatives to normalization than “mutual recognition and respect for each other’s sovereignty between internationally recognized borders.”

As part of the EU’s diplomatic efforts, Michel hosted in April a meeting between Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Brussels where the two sides expressed willingness to secure a peace agreement.

Relations between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.

After new clashes erupted in September 2020, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and over 300 settlements and villages that were occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.

The fighting ended in November 2020 with a Russian-brokered deal.