During his visit to Spain, Elchin Amirbayov, the Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan, stated in an interview with the EFE news agency that Baku aims to build pragmatic relations with all major international actors and does not intend to depend on any single geopolitical center.
“Azerbaijan has never asked and does not intend to ask anyone’s permission to establish close ties with the European Union,” the diplomat emphasized, adding that the country is fully aware of its geostrategic importance to the West, especially as the EU shifts its orientation away from Russia toward new partnerships.
According to Amirbayov, if the EU is genuinely committed to strengthening its ties with Central Asia and diversifying its energy supply, it must enhance its presence in the South Caucasus and invest in the necessary infrastructure. He pointed out that the shortest and most economically viable route between East Asia and Western Europe runs through Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey.
The diplomat noted that Azerbaijan’s importance to Europe has significantly increased since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022. “Trade flows between Asia and Europe have grown by 75%, and this trend is expected to continue,” he said.
Amirbayov also reported that Azerbaijan and the EU have signed an agreement to increase gas supplies to 20 billion cubic meters per year, and negotiations are currently underway to expand the capacity of existing pipelines. “Our gas is in demand not only in Europe but in other parts of the world as well. Therefore, further increases in supply require substantial investments from the EU,” he explained.
At the same time, the diplomat stressed that Azerbaijan does not position itself as a replacement for Russia, which still supplies around 145 billion cubic meters of gas annually to the European market. “This is not about substitution, but about expanding diversification,” he noted.
Speaking about relations with Russia, Amirbayov emphasized that Moscow respects Azerbaijan’s non-alignment policy. “We have never been part of any military or political bloc. We have always sought to build friendly, good-neighborly, and pragmatic relations with our immediate neighbors and other major powers,” he said.
In conclusion, the diplomat commented on the EU’s sanctions policy against Russia, expressing skepticism about its effectiveness: “We understand that sanctions do not produce the desired results.”
