Baku, March 11, AZERTAC

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the European Council António Costa delivered press statements on March 11.

The President of Azerbaijan made the statement first.

Statement by President Ilham Aliyev

- Dear Mr. President,

Dear guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I welcome the President of the European Council. I am very glad to host you, Mr. President. We met twice last year and had very good discussions. And as you remember, I invited you to visit Azerbaijan. I'm grateful that you accepted my invitation. We pay very big importance to your visit. I'm sure that it will play an important role in the further development of our bilateral ties, which have developed very successfully, especially during the recent period of time. We have a very active dialogue. Members of the European Commission visited us several times last year and this year. So, on different levels, we are in an active phase of partnership. I looked at some economic figures, and this January, 50 percent of our trade turnover was with the European Union. Last year it was a little bit lower, but it really demonstrates that for us, the European Union is the number one trading partner. And I'm sure that with the new projects, the new investment opportunities, and with investments going in two directions, we are also actively investing in Europe now. Our trade turnover will definitely grow. An important part of our partnership always was, is, and definitely will be cooperation in the energy field, especially after 2022, when we signed a document on Strategic Partnership in the energy field with the European Commission.

Since that time, we have increased our gas export to European countries with respect to the volumes and with respect to the number of countries. Today, 10 members of the European Union receive gas from Azerbaijan, and the total number of countries is 16. And by this number, we are number one in the world in supplying gas by pipelines. Sixteen countries today are receiving Azerbaijani gas, so our role in the energy security of many countries is growing.

The European market for us makes up half of our total gas exports, with the potential to grow. Just at the beginning of this month, we held the annual meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council, the event which is co-hosted by Azerbaijan and the European Commission. And in my remarks there, I informed the audience that we are planning to increase gas production this year. We'll start producing gas from a new field. And in two or three years from now, if everything goes according to the schedule, we will have a minimum of 10 billion cubic meters of gas more than what we have today.

Another area of our energy cooperation is renewables, which also have great potential. We are investing largely in wind, solar, and hydropower. And our plan is in five to six years to have about six to eight gigawatts of renewable energy, which will be ready for export. So now we are working with European partners on transmission lines, on subsea cables, and on other segments of energy infrastructure.

So today, when you arrived, we both mentioned that it's a very sunny day in Baku, so the spring is coming. Actually, we have, I think, more than 300 sunny days here, and maybe even more windy days. So as you can imagine, wind and solar energy have great potential here. And of course, we are looking for better interaction, because you have to work with many countries before reaching the European continent so that all the transit arrangements are met. And, of course, connectivity is also an important part of our bilateral portfolio, especially now after we reached a peace agreement, which was initialed with Armenia. The new opportunities for the extension of the Middle Corridor obviously are increasing our optimism. As I told Mr. President, we have been living in peace only for seven months. Our independence was restored in 1991, and only for seven months have we been living in peace. But already we feel the benefits of that, and I'm sure that peace with Armenia will be forever. And also we started trade. We started the supply of critical oil products to Armenia. We lifted all the restrictions on the transit of cargo from other countries to Armenia through the territory of Azerbaijan. And this is, once again, a demonstration of our strong political will, because we not only achieved peace on paper, which was initialed by the two countries, but we have peace on the ground also. And this is also important, because sometimes documents on paper remain as they are for a long time. In our case, from the last bloody military clash with Armenia in September 2023 to peace in August 2025, less than two years have passed. And I think this is the best indicator that nations and peoples can reconcile if both sides demonstrate political will and commitment to peace. There can be nothing better than peace. Believe me, we know what it is like to live in a situation of war or to be at war. So countries like ours value peace maybe more than any other. So our agenda really is very broad. We, of course, discussed security issues in the region close to our borders. We will continue our interaction later today. And once again, thank you, Mr. President, for being with us, and I wish you a pleasant stay.

x x x

Then, the President of the European Council made the statement.

Statement by President António Costa

- Good afternoon. First of all, it is a pleasure to be here in Baku. And thank you, President Aliyev, for your invitation and for your gracious welcome, in particular in the challenging context of the rapidly evolving geopolitical situation in the region.

I would like to express the European Union’s full solidarity with the people of Azerbaijan. And please, let me extend my sincere appreciation for the assistance that Azerbaijan has provided to European citizens to facilitate their safe repatriation from Iran. The Republic of Azerbaijan is a key partner for the European Union. Over the past year, we have revitalized our relationship. And today's meeting is a clear sign of our shared commitment to further cooperation, especially in the areas of security, energy, digital, and transport. To make full use of the existing dialogue mechanisms, including on security and human rights, we are now working on a new framework for closer cooperation between the European Union and Azerbaijan. This sends a strong signal of our joint vision for the future. We are also exploring ways to deepen our cooperation in defense and security.

Energy security is a cornerstone of our bilateral cooperation, as President Aliyev said. Four years ago, in Versailles, the European Council made the decision to diversify our sources of supply for gas, oil, and coal. Azerbaijan has been central to this effort, thanks to the Southern Gas Corridor. And today, the impact is clear. With the war in Iran shaking global energy markets, our energy partnership is more important than ever. The European Union stands ready to mobilize private investment and financing to support Azerbaijan's energy transition. We also encourage greater involvement of European clean-tech companies in your ambitious plan.

Connectivity is another crucial area of our cooperation. The development of the Middle Corridor represents a strategic opportunity for new transport connections. Completing the Baku–Nakhchivan rail link would be essential in that regard. By enhancing trade resilience between Europe and Asia, we can create jobs, drive growth, and strengthen our economies together. The European Union shares Azerbaijan's objective for a peaceful, stable, interconnected, and prosperous South Caucasus. The progress made in the peace process with Armenia is historic.

The Washington agreements reflect your commitment to dialogue and reconciliation, and the European Union stands with you in supporting their full implementation.

We know that true peace is built not only on political agreements on paper, as you said, but on the daily lives of people — on economic ties, trade, and shared prosperity. Strengthening economic interdependence is the surest path to long-term stability, and the European Union is ready to help unlock these opportunities for the benefit of all. Azerbaijan's regional role is more important than ever. I want to recognize the challenges you face in view of the dangerous military escalation in Iran and the Middle East, which has also reached you. Let me express once again, in the name of the European Union, my full solidarity with Azerbaijan and its people.

We condemn in the strongest terms the recent attack by Iran on Nakhchivan Airport. It is essential to safeguard regional security and stability, in full respect of the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law. The European Union remains committed to working with all partners, through dialogue and diplomacy, to de-escalate tensions and protect civilians. Further escalation threatens not only the Middle East but also Europe and the wider world.

Because it is only the latest development in a worrying trend of violent actions in contradiction of international law. Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is now in its fifth year, and it remains an existential threat to Europe and a destabilizing force globally.

Against this backdrop of global instability, it is more important than ever to strengthen the ties between us. We look forward to Azerbaijan hosting the 2028 summit of the European Political Community.

In closing, let me reiterate that the European Union is committed to working with Azerbaijan to turn today's challenges into tomorrow's opportunities. Your leadership is essential, and our partnership is strong. Together we can expand it even further for the benefit of both our peoples.

I'm looking forward to hosting you in Brussels in the coming months.

Thank you very much, Mr. President.