In a landmark meeting, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier held a joint press conference in Baku, underscoring their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and advancing peace in the South Caucasus.
President Ilham Aliyev hailed the visit as a historic milestone, noting: “This visit will give a new positive impetus to our relations.” Highlighting the robust growth in economic cooperation, he pointed out that bilateral trade between Azerbaijan and Germany had nearly tripled in the first two months of the year.
Renewable energy was a key topic in the talks, with President Aliyev outlining Azerbaijan’s goal of expanding its renewable energy production capacity to 6 gigawatts by 2030 through foreign investment. “A portion of this will be exported to Europe,” he said, emphasizing Germany’s expertise in this area and the potential for strategic cooperation.
Turning to regional matters, President Aliyev provided detailed insight into the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process, which has gained renewed international attention. He reaffirmed that Azerbaijan had been the first to propose peace negotiations following the end of the Second Karabakh War. “Neither Armenia nor the OSCE Minsk Group proposed peace negotiations — it was Azerbaijan that took the first step,” he said.
President Aliyev revealed that “the text of the peace treaty, consisting of 17 paragraphs, has been fully agreed upon”, and that Azerbaijan is not putting forward any additional conditions. However, he stressed that two unresolved issues remain on Armenia’s side:
“First, the OSCE Minsk Group must be dissolved,” he stated.
“Second, the Armenian constitution includes a reference to the act of independence, which contains a provision about the unification of Azerbaijan’s legal and historical territory with Armenia. This is a clear territorial claim. We consider the removal of this clause to be a legitimate and necessary condition.”
President Aliyev made it clear that once these two issues are addressed, “there will be no obstacles to signing the peace treaty.” He concluded: “The ball is in Armenia’s court. If Armenia genuinely wants peace, it must accept these two legitimate conditions.”
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in turn, praised the progress made and called the current moment “crucial” for finalizing a peace agreement. “I hope this opportunity will be seized, a peace treaty will be signed, and lasting peace will be established in your region,” he emphasized. The German President also reaffirmed Germany’s willingness to support the peace process in any way possible.
Both presidents expressed optimism about the future of Azerbaijan-Germany relations and the prospect of a peaceful, stable South Caucasus. The visit marked a significant step forward in both bilateral diplomacy and regional peacebuilding efforts.
