The resounding success of Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Berlin can be assessed from different angles. The talks with German officials, including President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the meetings with representatives of German major businesses at the very beginning of the visit—in short, all the attention that was paid to the negotiations with Azerbaijan in Berlin—give food for thought.
For obvious reasons, the Azerbaijani audience follows President Steinmeier’s and Chancellor Scholz’s statements most closely: Germany recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and does not recognize “Nagorno-Karabakh”. Similarly, one could not fail to notice that during the meeting between Aliyev and Steinmeier, support was voiced for the EU’s mediation mission. But this is not the only positive and promising outcome of Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Germany.
A respectful, businesslike, constructive atmosphere, obvious mutual understanding in the meetings, with the parties literally and figuratively speaking the same language: Berlin is interested in developing cooperation with Azerbaijan. Our country and Germany are engaged in a strategic dialogue, where Germany, the largest country in Europe with the strongest economy, is well aware of the increased importance of Azerbaijan. It is not a coincidence that both the President and the Chancellor of Germany have indicated a clear desire to develop ties with Azerbaijan in many areas. And this is not only about the statements that were made during the talks. The very fact of the visit, its program, the agenda of the talks, all of this demonstrates the degree of interest in cooperation with Azerbaijan on the banks of the Spree and the Elbe. Europe, including Germany, sees our country as a reliable and valuable partner.
Finally, one more important detail. Azerbaijan has a broad agenda with the EU in general and Germany in particular. The discussions during Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Germany covered gas exports to Europe, the chances of building the Trans-Caspian pipeline, Azerbaijan’s development of “green energy” and the supply of green electricity to Europe. And, of course, investments and joint projects. Azerbaijan remains an attractive business partner not only in terms of oil and gas supplies (although against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine the importance of these supplies to Europe increases many times over). German officials talked to Pashinyan in Berlin solely in the context of the normalization of relations with Azerbaijan, whereas Azerbaijan is of interest to Europe on its own, outside of the “conflict” agenda. And this changes things fundamentally, including in the sensitive area of the balance of sympathies and antipathies.
Azerbaijan essentially confidently promotes its interests in the German track, forming a solid intra-European counterweight to the blatantly biased position of France, and this is a very correct and smart move by official Baku. Moreover, Azerbaijan promotes the “German vector” of its policy. Germany was not very active in the South Caucasus and Central Asia in the past, unwilling, among other things, to compete with Russia. But now the situation is different. Many countries are reconsidering their policy in the South Caucasus, and Germany is not just one of them: Berlin clearly aims to play an independent role.
Moreover, unlike France, the Federal Republic of Germany has maintained a fairly balanced and neutral position: suffice it to recall the recent correction of Olaf Scholz’s remarks at a joint press conference with Nikol Pashinyan. As the interest to this visit of President Ilham Aliyev, including, or rather, primarily, the interest shown by the German business community, demonstrates that Germany considers Azerbaijan as an important and valuable partner. Berlin has certainly made conclusions from the recent growth of Azerbaijan’s political “weight”. Ilham Aliyev’s forward-looking and well-thought-out policy is bearing fruit. The victory in the 44-day Patriotic War, the implementation of projects such as the Southern Gas Corridor and the energy bridge, the tremendous credibility on the international arena, including in the Non-Aligned Movement, the established cooperation with NATO, the reconstruction work in the liberated lands with billions of dollars in contracts—all this makes Berlin show unprecedented activity on the Azerbaijani track.
And Azerbaijan can rightfully claim this as an asset.
