On April 25, Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, embarked on a working visit to Germany following an invitation from Olaf Scholz, the Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. 

Meeting with the German Foreign Minister and President

On April 26, Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, met with Annalena Baerbock, the Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany, in Berlin. During their discussion, Minister Baerbock highlighted the importance of the conversations on the sidelines of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue and lauded President Aliyev's address at the event. She commended the ongoing cooperation and frequent consultations between the German and Azerbaijani delegations concerning COP29, affirming Germany's continued support for Azerbaijan’s leadership of the upcoming conference.

President Aliyev expressed his appreciation for Germany's support of COP29 and for the invitation to participate in the Petersberg Climate Dialogue. He noted that hosting COP29 in Azerbaijan is integral to the peace agenda being fostered between Armenia and Azerbaijan. He reiterated the significance of the meetings held with Armenia, supported by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during the Munich Security Conference, which notably advanced the border delimitation and demarcation discussions.

Furthermore, President Aliyev mentioned that the peace treaty negotiations between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, facilitated by Germany's foreign minister, were crucial in moving the peace negotiations forward. He described the progress made in border delimitation and demarcation through direct dialogue as positive steps towards ensuring regional stability.

President Aliyev reaffirmed Azerbaijan's dedication to advancing the peace agenda and mentioned an upcoming meeting between the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, set to be held in Kazakhstan at Kazakhstan's initiative.

On the same day, President Aliyev also met with Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the President of the Federal Republic of Germany. The discussion underscored the significance of the Petersburg Climate Dialogue and the valuable contributions of President Aliyev's speech at the event. The conversation touched on the successful cooperation between Germany and Azerbaijan, particularly in light of the forthcoming COP29, where the 'troika' mechanism was also discussed.

President Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan had initiated the peace agenda with Armenia, outlining the fundamental principles and preparing the text of the peace agreement. He highlighted the productive discussions on border issues and the advancement of the peace agenda during a meeting with the Armenian Prime Minister, supported by Chancellor Scholz at the Munich Security Conference.

President Steinmeier expressed Germany's support for the peace agenda between Armenia and Azerbaijan and assured continued backing. The leaders also exchanged views on various topics of mutual interest during their meetings.

Press statements with Scholz

On April 26, during the High-Level Segment of the 15th Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin, Ilham Aliyev discussed Azerbaijan's active preparations as the host country for COP29. 

"With less than a year to prepare for this global event, we are fully committed to delivering good results," the president remarked.

President Aliyev highlighted the honor of being unanimously selected to host COP29, viewing it as a mark of respect from the international community towards Azerbaijan, particularly for its initiatives in green energy. "Our oil and gas will continue to be needed for many years, including by the European markets," he added.

In 2022, the European Union and Azerbaijan entered into a strategic partnership declaration concerning energy, leading to increased natural gas supplies to the EU. "Last year, we supplied 8 billion cubic meters of gas to EU countries, and this year, that number has risen to 12 billion cubic meters. We are committing additional resources to support Europe in this regard," President Aliyev stated during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.

"Azerbaijan, rich in both traditional and renewable energy sources, aims to continue as a crucial energy partner for Europe. By 2030, the country plans to have constructed additional wind and solar power plants with a combined capacity of up to 5 gigawatts, following the operation of nine such plants by 2027," he added.

President Aliyev also commented on the ongoing peace process with Armenia, noting the initiation of border delimitation and demarcation and the return of four Azerbaijani villages previously occupied. He mentioned the recent suspension of activities at the Russia-Türkiye Joint Monitoring Center in Azerbaijan and expressed readiness to collaborate with countries supporting peace efforts.

At the press conference, President Aliyev emphasized the value of the ongoing peace negotiations with Armenia, revealing that the foreign ministers of both nations had recently met in Germany at Chancellor Scholz's invitation, with further meetings planned in Kazakhstan to advance a peace agreement.

During a press conference, representatives of the German TV channel ZDF asked the Azerbaijani President a question about restrictions on freedom of speech in Azerbaijan. Ilham Aliyev, in his turn, emphasized the “importance of protecting the nation's media space from harmful foreign influences.” "We, like any country, must protect our media space from foreign negative influences," President Aliyev stated. When questioned about the arrest of an independent journalist named Imran Aliyev, whose family and colleagues say that his rights are being violated, President Aliyev responded by denying “any form of censorship” in Azerbaijan. He pointed out, "There is a free internet. Hundreds of media organizations are active." He further argued that it would be unjust to criticize Azerbaijan's approach to media development given these conditions, questioning, “If the internet is free, what kind of restrictions are we talking about?” Aliyev also addressed specific cases involving media representatives, stating that law enforcement is investigating these matters. 

During the press conference, Aliyev was also asked about the allegedly non-transparent procedures for distributing tenders for the implementation of reconstruction projects in Karabakh. Aliyev, for his part, denied all accusations. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized the necessity of a novel strategy for addressing climate change. He highlighted the roles of Azerbaijan and Brazil, the forthcoming chairs of COP29 and COP30, respectively, in championing this cause.

Chancellor Scholz expressed his enthusiasm for the new cooperative framework between continents, underlining its significance in bolstering the global response to climate change. He also conveyed his optimism for the upcoming COP29, to be hosted by Azerbaijan in November, hoping it would mirror the success of COP28 in Dubai.

In his remarks, Scholz mentioned implementing long-term green energy strategies, pointing out that such initiatives capitalize on future opportunities to foster sustainable development.

On the geopolitical front, Scholz remarked on the unprecedented high chances of achieving peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. He shared insights from their discussion, stressing the mutual agreement on resolving their differences peacefully. "Germany stands ready to assist both countries in making the necessary compromises to reach peace," Scholz stated, welcoming the preliminary agreement on demarcation as a positive step towards this goal. He reiterated Germany's commitment to supporting Azerbaijan and Armenia in pursuing a peaceful resolution.