Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed progress in the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process and broader regional developments during talks in Baku on September 15. Fidan also met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, with the two sides exchanging views on Azerbaijan-Türkiye relations and the broader regional agenda. 

The ministers addressed practical steps toward establishing lasting peace in the South Caucasus and expanding regional cooperation. The sides reaffirmed their shared position that conflicts and military confrontations should be addressed through political and diplomatic means.

Fidan welcomed the progress made between Baku and Yerevan and highlighted Türkiye’s support for Azerbaijan’s position in the peace process. Turkish Foreign Minister noted that Ankara expects the completion of the process to open a new period for the South Caucasus, with greater attention to transport, energy, trade and economic development.

The talks covered the wider Azerbaijan-Türkiye strategic partnership, including political dialogue, trade and investment, energy, transport and logistics, security and defense, humanitarian cooperation and coordination within international organizations. The two ministers also emphasized the role of bilateral mechanisms such as the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, political consultations and the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation.

Fidan underlined the importance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and continued defense cooperation between the two countries. He linked the expansion of joint projects to the wider development of regional connectivity and highlighted the Kars-Dilucu railway, whose construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2029. He stressed that the project would contribute to the functioning of the Middle Corridor and benefit Türkiye, Azerbaijan and other members of the Organization of Turkic States.

Bayramov noted that bilateral projects with long-term potential include the transmission of renewable electricity from Azerbaijan across the Black Sea with Türkiye’s participation, as well as a planned electricity connection between Nakhchivan and Türkiye.

The ministers also considered the new energy cable planned between Nakhchivan and Türkiye, which Bayramov called a project with potential significance not only for Azerbaijan and Türkiye but also for the European market. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister added that Turkish companies continue to participate in such projects in Azerbaijan, including in Karabakh and East Zangezur. According to Bayramov, Azerbaijan-Türkiye trade exceeded $3.2 billion in the first eight months of 2026, while the two countries continue to develop projects intended to support their economic and transport links over the longer term.

The ministers reviewed cooperation within organizations including the United Nations, the Organization of Turkic States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the OSCE, and the Economic Cooperation Organization, as well as trilateral and quadrilateral formats involving Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and other regional partners.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan further outlined Ankara’s vision of a broader regional transformation, with the South Caucasus increasingly shaped by transport, energy, trade and economic cooperation rather than conflict.