During an exclusive interview with EU Today and a group of journalists in Brussels on November 30, Hikmet Hajiyev, the Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, said the Zangezur Corridor would have a transformative effect on the Eurasian transport landscape. Hajiyev emphasized Azerbaijan’s central role in the corridor project and expressed Baku’s interest in seeing the European Union involved, particularly within the framework of the EU’s Global Gateway initiative. He presented the corridor as a practical element of Azerbaijan’s "winning the peace strategy," noting that lasting peace in the South Caucasus should foster prosperity and development among neighbors. "War is over for Azerbaijan, and conflict is over," Hajiyev stated. He added that peace should bring interdependence between neighbors and suggested that Armenia could transition from a "deadlocked entry" to a transit country as east–west and north–south links expand.

Hikmet Hajiyev also addressed Azerbaijan’s economic and trade relations with Iran, describing them as stable and emphasizing cooperation on projects such as the construction of a road bridge over the Araz River between Aghband and Kelaleh, expected to be completed by the end of 2025, with border and customs infrastructure ready by early 2026. He highlighted the good personal relations between the leaders of both countries and noted that the diplomatic consequences of the January 27, 2023, armed attack on the Azerbaijani embassy in Tehran had been fully resolved. "Azerbaijan has completely turned that page," Hajiyev stated, adding that the individual responsible for the attack had been brought to justice under Iranian law.

During the interview, Hajiyev also discussed Azerbaijan’s willingness to deepen cooperation with the EU in energy security and connectivity. He echoed President Ilham Aliyev’s calls for greater flexibility from European financial institutions regarding gas-related infrastructure. Azerbaijan supplied about 11.7 billion cubic metres of gas to the EU in 2024 through the Southern Gas Corridor, up from 8 bcm in 2021. A 2022 agreement envisages volumes rising to at least 16 bcm by 2027 if infrastructure and contracts permit. Hajiyev noted that further expansion of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline and related infrastructure would depend on long-term interest and contractual commitments from the European side.

Looking toward renewables, Hajiyev highlighted Azerbaijan’s estimated technical potential of around 135 gigawatts onshore and 157 gigawatts offshore, mainly in the Caspian Sea. President Aliyev has set a target of 6 gigawatts of renewable capacity by 2030, with contracts and memoranda already covering roughly 10 gigawatts of planned projects. "By 2030, Azerbaijan will be in a capacity to produce 6 gigawatts of renewable electricity," Hajiyev said , linking this to Europe’s digital and AI objectives and presenting Azerbaijan as a future regional hub in a "digital Silk Way" connecting Central Asia to Europe. He emphasized the country’s suitability for data centers due to comparatively cheap electricity and favorable climatic conditions in the northern regions.

Hikmet Hajiyev also addressed the AZAL airline tragedy over Grozny in December 2024. He noted that, following initial misunderstandings and emotional reactions, concerns were discussed at a meeting between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Russia in Dushanbe. "Azerbaijan expected from Russia official apologies, a full investigation, holding the responsible parties accountable, and compensation for the downed AZAL plane. Now we have turned the page on the misunderstanding and will continue normal, good-neighborly relations between the two countries," he stated.