President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev

Joint press statement by President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan and President António Costa of the European Council

11 March 2026, 22:00
  1. On 11 March 2026, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev and the President of the European Council, António Costa met in Baku, the Republic of Azerbaijan.
  1. Emphasizing the strategic importance of the Azerbaijan-EU partnership, the Presidents expressed their commitment to further deepening political dialogue and practical cooperation, building on the positive momentum of recent high-level meetings, including in the areas of security, energy and transport. This cooperation reflects the shared interest of both sides and contributes to the promotion of peace, stability, connectivity and sustainable development in the wider Black Sea, South Caucasus and Central Asia regions.
  1. They reaffirmed that relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the European Union are grounded in mutual respect, equality and shared benefit, in full respect of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, including the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States.
  1. The Presidents reiterated their commitment to the swift finalisation of negotiations on a new comprehensive bilateral agreement, which would provide a solid legal framework to further develop relations. They also underlined the importance of adopting renewed Azerbaijan-EU Partnership Priorities and making full use of existing dialogue mechanisms, including the Azerbaijan-EU Cooperation Council, to further advance the bilateral agenda in all areas.
  1. Reaffirming their shared strategic objective of a peaceful, stable, interconnected and prosperous South Caucasus free of dividing lines, the Presidents welcomed the recent positive regional developments, notably the historic momentum in the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process. They welcomed the outcomes of the 8 August 2025 Washington Summit and the subsequent steps taken towards the normalisation of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The President of the European Council reiterated the EU’s full support for efforts of the two countries aiming to achieve sustainable peace in the region through bilateral dialogue.
  1. The Presidents highlighted Azerbaijan’s large-scale post-conflict reconstruction and development efforts in its Garabagh and Eastern Zangezur regions. Acknowledging the scale of the challenges, particularly landmine contamination, they called for increased international support while noting that the European Union is the leading international donor in humanitarian de-mining.
  1. The Presidents underscored that implementation of the “Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development” offers opportunities to expand Azerbaijan-EU cooperation in respective priority areas, including in trade, connectivity, investment, economic resilience and the clean energy.
  1. The Presidents emphasised Azerbaijan’s key role in regional connectivity, notably through the Middle Corridor, strengthening transport, trade, energy and digital links between the Black Sea, the South Caucasus and Central Asia. The European Union reaffirmed its commitment to cooperation with Azerbaijan on connectivity under the Global Gateway, other relevant mechanisms, including support to railway modernisation in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of the Republic of Azerbaijan, alongside ongoing efforts on the implementation of TRIPP. They welcomed the establishment of a High-Level Working Group on Economic Cooperation to strengthen Azerbaijan-EU economic cooperation and investments under the Global Gateway initiative.
  1. Recalling longstanding critical energy partnership, the Presidents acknowledged Azerbaijan’s role as a reliable partner in the diversification of Europe’s energy supplies and committed to the further implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Partnership in the field of energy signed in 2022. They underlined the value of the Southern Gas Corridor and Green Energy Advisory Council and the potential to expand energy cooperation in renewables, including wind and solar power, as well as electricity interconnection initiatives, such as the Black Sea Submarine Cable project.
  1. Welcoming the successful outcomes of the twenty-ninth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) held in Baku in November 2024 under the presidency of the Republic Azerbaijan, the Presidents reaffirmed their readiness to enhance cooperation on climate change and environmental protection.
  1. The Presidents welcomed Azerbaijan's hosting of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum, to be held in May 2026 as a significant contribution to global efforts on sustainable urbanization and resilient urban development and expressed readiness to leverage this Forum to deepen Azerbaijan-EU cooperation in respective areas.
  1. The Presidents emphasised the benefits of closer cooperation in defense and security, to address emerging threats such as organised crime, terrorism, extremism, illicit trafficking in weapons and drugs, money laundering, human trafficking and irregular migration.
  1. The Presidents underlined the importance of strengthening cooperation in digital transformation and innovation. They recognized the increasing significance of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, and expressed readiness to enhance cooperation in this domain with a view to fostering innovation, economic resilience and development, as well promoting sustainable and growth-oriented digital ecosystems.
  1. The Presidents reaffirmed the importance of people-to-people contacts including through enhanced mobility. They welcomed continued implementation of the Visa Facilitation Agreement, with a view to further facilitating mutual travel, and committed to strengthening cooperation in education, culture, youth and research.
  1. The leaders discussed the main current geopolitical issues, including the latest developments in Iran and Ukraine.
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