BERLIN, Germany, July 21. Germany, as a leading country of the European Union, is increasing its influence in the South Caucasus, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said during a joint press conference with German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
In his statement, President Aliyev thanked Chancellor Merz for the invitation and hospitality, expressing confidence that the documents signed during the visit would elevate Azerbaijan-Germany relations to a new level.
The Azerbaijani leader said that the two countries had already achieved the launch of a strategic dialogue, adding that the Joint Declaration on Bilateral Partnership signed during the visit would contribute to expanding economic relations and producing positive results.
“Germany, as a leading country of the European Union, is increasing its influence in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan-Germany relations will contribute not only to bilateral ties but also to cooperation, peace, and stability across our region,” President Aliyev said.
He noted that more than 200 German companies are currently operating successfully in Azerbaijan and expressed confidence that their number would increase after the visit. He added that concrete proposals had been presented to expand the activities of German companies in Azerbaijan and that issues related to mutual investments were being discussed.
Touching upon energy cooperation, President Aliyev said Azerbaijan had started exporting natural gas to Germany from this year. He noted that Azerbaijani gas is currently supplied to 10 European Union member states, describing this as a significant contribution to energy security.
The president also highlighted that Azerbaijan exports oil to Germany and plans to deliver green energy to Europe in the future, saying that cooperation in the energy sector would become even broader.
Speaking about connectivity and transit opportunities, Aliyev emphasized the importance of Azerbaijan-Germany cooperation in this area. He said Azerbaijan was improving its transport infrastructure and, after becoming a full member of the Central Asia Consultative Format, was increasingly playing the role of a bridge between Central Asia and Europe.
President Aliyev said concrete action plans were being prepared in various fields and that several working groups would be established to ensure the implementation of the documents signed during the visit.
He also thanked Germany for its contribution to the peace process in the South Caucasus, stating that the normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and the initialling of a peace agreement marked a historic turning point after decades of conflict.
According to Aliyev, Azerbaijan took practical steps immediately after the agreement, including supplying gasoline and diesel fuel to Armenia and facilitating transit shipments through Azerbaijani territory. He noted that more than 40,000 tonnes of transit cargo had already passed through Azerbaijan.
“Today, we are living through a very historic period,” Aliyev said, adding that Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity and sovereignty and implemented the four UN Security Council resolutions related to the conflict.
The Azerbaijani president also emphasized the importance of Azerbaijan-European Union relations, noting the recent visits of European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Azerbaijan.
He said Germany’s role in strengthening Azerbaijan-EU relations was significant due to its leading position within the European Union.
At the end of his statement, President Ilham Aliyev thanked Chancellor Merz once again for the invitation and hospitality and invited him to make an official visit to Azerbaijan.
