Aliyev visits Berlin to deepen energy and trade ties with Germany

Azerbaijan and Germany signed a strategic partnership declaration covering energy, transport and trade, with Chancellor Merz welcoming Azerbaijan's gas deliveries, expected to reach 2 billion cubic metres annually by next year, as a further step away from reliance on Moscow. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Berlin on Tuesday for his first state visit to Germany, with energy security and the Middle Corridor trade route at the top of the agenda as Europe continues to reduce its dependence on Russian fossil fuels. Aliyev met Chancellor Friedrich Merz for bilateral talks before a wider meeting with cabinet ministers. The two sides signed a joint declaration on a strategic partnership and a series of agreements covering energy, transport, infrastructure, trade and investment, and science and technology — with Germany becoming the second European country after Italy to sign the same agreement with Azerbaijan. A joint business forum ran alongside the talks. “I would like to express my gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev,” Merz said. “You are creating an opportunity for us to receive larger volumes of gas from Azerbaijan. This issue is also reflected in the Joint Declaration that we signed today.” “Azerbaijan can supply the required volume of oil,” Aliyev said. “This can be done both through domestic sources and through the trading division of SOCAR.” Germany has become one of Baku's newest gas customers, after Azerbaijan's gas began flowing to Germany in 2024 via the Southern Gas Corridor and onward connections. Aliyev said he expected annual deliveries to reach 2 billion cubic metres by next year. Merz described the Southern Gas Corridor as a reliable supply route and said Germany intended to build a long-term relationship with Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan currently supplies around 12 billion cubic metres of gas per year to Europe, with Italy, Greece, Bulgaria and Hungary among the largest recipients. "Azerbaijan is ready to increase energy supplies to Germany and other European Union countries as Russia’s energy infrastructure continues to suffer damage from the war in Ukraine," Aliyev said. Berlin's decision to diversify away from Russian energy after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 has increased the strategic value of the Southern Gas Corridor for EU member states. The Middle Corridor, linking China to Europe through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, also featured prominently. Aliyev said Azerbaijan had invested heavily in expanding its port capacity at Alat on the Caspian Sea and that freight volumes through the corridor had grown significantly. Germany, as one of Europe's main industrial economies and a major importer of Asian goods, has a direct interest in reducing dependence on trans-Russian routes. Aliyev separately addressed the ongoing war between Iran and the US, which has disrupted regional energy and trade flows and increased the importance of overland and Caspian routes as alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz. He said Azerbaijan had maintained a balanced position throughout the war and was ready to support any diplomatic efforts to restore stability. In turn, Merz lauded the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, expressing support for a lasting settlement and calling on both sides to finalise the peace agreement. Europe's reliable partner According to Orkhan Yolchuyev, director and co-founder of the CASPIA analytical think tank in Baku, the significance of the visit lies in the wider range of sectors included in the new strategic agenda. “For the first time at such a high level, bilateral cooperation includes green energy, low-carbon hydrogen, digital transformation, industrial modernisation, transport connectivity and innovation,” Yolchuyev said. “Germany increasingly sees Azerbaijan not only as an energy supplier but also as a partner for new industrial and logistics projects linking Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia.” Yolchuyev said the newly established Business Council could help turn political agreements into practical cooperation, while the inclusion of education, science and cultural exchanges gives the partnership a broader foundation. Shahin Ismayilov, a member of Azerbaijan’s parliament and chairman of the Youth and Sport Committee, said the agreements reached in Berlin could strengthen cooperation in energy, trade, transport and investment. “President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Germany marks an important step in further strengthening the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Germany,” he told Euronews. “Azerbaijan remains a reliable partner for Europe, particularly in ensuring stable energy supplies and advancing the Middle Corridor initiative.” Aliyev further discussed bilateral cooperation between the two countries in a one-on-one meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier later on Tuesday. Steinmeier, who previously served as Germany's foreign minister, described Azerbaijan and Germany as “islands of stability” amid ongoing global conflicts and broader challenges.