On April 25, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, visited Azerbaijan. On the same day, she was received by President Ilham Aliyev. Kallas also held a meeting with Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister, Jeyhun Bayramov.
Kallas, having recently assumed her position, has not been noted for openly anti-Azerbaijani statements, unlike her predecessor Josep Borrell, who maintained a highly hostile stance towards Baku and even distanced himself from the EU’s mediation mission aimed at normalizing relations between Baku and Yerevan, previously led by the then EU head Charles Michel.
It is worth mentioning that during his tenure, Borrell never visited Baku. Kallas has now filled that gap and even spoke of a new chapter in relations between the EU and Azerbaijan. This is particularly relevant against the backdrop of plans to enhance cooperation between the EU and Central Asian states, which was also mentioned during the meetings in Baku.
“In our conversation with President Ilham Aliyev, we discussed strengthening ties with Central Asia and Azerbaijan’s role in this process. We will continue to enhance cooperation based on mutual benefit and respect,” she emphasized.
Speaking about the peace process between Baku and Yerevan, Kallas stated that the European Union would continue to support efforts to achieve lasting peace in the region.
“The EU will continue to support the process of reaching a sustainable peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. We also intend to assist Azerbaijan in addressing the mine threat,” noted Kaja Kallas.
The chief EU diplomat deliberately emphasized participation in demining efforts in Azerbaijani territories, seeking to preempt Baku’s criticism concerning the activities of the EU observer mission in Armenia.
The European Union does not hide its aim of establishing a stronger presence in Armenia, including for military-political purposes. In Brussels, this is officially framed as “enhancing European security.” However, in Azerbaijan, these EU actions are considered unjustified and seen as creating additional dividing lines in the South Caucasus region. Nevertheless, these differences in perspective did not prevent Kallas from making statements indicating Brussels’ desire to continue cooperation with Azerbaijan on essential economic and logistical matters.
“I am very pleased to be here. Azerbaijan is an important partner in the region. We have expectations for strengthening our relations,” Kallas stated at a joint press conference with Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. Her statement triggered discontent among pro-Armenian politicians in Brussels, as well as among Armenian politicians and media outlets. They perceived Kallas’s remarks as a betrayal of European principles regarding the protection of citizens’ rights and freedoms in exchange for trade benefits in the energy sector and access to Central Asian markets for European businesses.
At the same time, it is quite clear that the chief European diplomat acted more as a Eurocrat and a person responsible for the development of the EU’s foreign relations, rather than as a politician aligned with the interests of a narrow political group.
Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, Azerbaijan has become a significant gas supplier to Europe. In its attempt to reduce dependence on Russian energy resources, the EU has intensified its energy diplomacy. In this context, a Memorandum of Understanding was even signed in 2022, envisioning a doubling of gas supplies through the Southern Gas Corridor to 20 billion cubic meters per year by 2027. In 2024, Azerbaijani gas exports to Europe reached nearly 13 billion cubic meters. Today, Baku’s role in this regard is highly valued by the European Commission.
However, Azerbaijan has expressed concerns regarding the EU’s restrictions on financing fossil fuel projects and the absence of long-term contracts, which could complicate the expansion of the Southern Gas Corridor. Nevertheless, the implementation of projects related to supplying “green energy” to Europe somewhat offsets these challenges and helps maintain Baku’s exclusive role as a key energy supplier for the EU for years to come.
It is precisely because of Azerbaijan’s growing role in the EU’s foreign policy that, while in Baku, Kallas announced the decision to resume negotiations on a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan. She emphasized that this partnership should be based on mutual respect, including respect for EU member states, as well as fundamental principles such as the rule of law and human rights. It is well known that until recently, one of the major obstacles to signing such an agreement was disagreements over the evaluation of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Now, this obstacle has been practically removed, suggesting Brussels’ readiness to turn the page on past differences and move towards signing an agreement that will open a new chapter in relations with Azerbaijan based on the recognition of existing regional realities.
Ilgar Velizade
Translated from minval.az
