The European Union and Azerbaijan have signalled their intention to advance bilateral relations as negotiations continue on a new comprehensive agreement intended to replace the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in force since 1999. Following a meeting with Azerbaijani presidential representative Elchin Amirbayov in Brussels on 22 October, European External Action Service Secretary-General Kajsa Ollongren that the two sides shared an ambition to develop their partnership. “Continued dialogue is key to turning the momentum toward lasting peace, stability and prosperity in the South Caucasus,” she wrote on X, adding that the EU and Azerbaijan intended to take their partnership forward in a changing geopolitical environment.

Amirbayov’s meetings with senior EU officials, including European Commission diplomatic adviser Simon Mordue, European Council foreign policy adviser Anna Maria Boura and EEAS Deputy Secretary-General Olof Skoog, covered the proposed bilateral agreement, the EU-Azerbaijan Partnership Priorities for 2026-2030, energy security, regional transport links and the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process. The discussions also addressed an EU feasibility study on restoring the railway connection to Nakhchivan and planned European projects to clear mines and unexploded ordnance in Azerbaijan.

The Brussels meeting the EU-Azerbaijan Business Forum in Baku on 21 October, where EU Ambassador to Azerbaijan Marijana Kujundžić emphasized that the EU delegation and European Commission were working to attract private European investment into the country’s strategic sectors. “We fully understand that predictable conditions for investment and a level playing field are of special importance for European companies interested in investing in Azerbaijan,” she said. Kujundžić identified energy as a central area of cooperation, noting Azerbaijan’s role as a supplier to European markets through the Southern Gas Corridor. Kujundžić also highlighted the potential of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, or Middle Corridor, to strengthen trade and transport links between Europe and Asia.

EU Ambassador confirmed that two rounds of negotiations on the new comprehensive agreement had taken place in Brussels and Baku and that talks were continuing. The agreement aims to update the legal framework for EU-Azerbaijan relations, while the Partnership Priorities document would set cooperation objectives for 2026-2030.