EU-Azerbaijan Cooperation Council to convene in Brussels

The 18th meeting of the EU-Azerbaijan Cooperation Council convenes in Brussels today, chaired by Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. The Council is part of Brussels’ efforts to strengthen its economic and political relations with Baku. Azerbaijan is part of the EU’s Eastern Partnership Policy, which aims at fostering closer cooperation and economic integration with countries in the bloc’s eastern vicinity.

The EU is Azerbaijan’s major trade partner and since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Azerbaijan is also becoming increasingly important to the Union. More than half of Azerbaijan’s exports are headed for the EU—chief among which are oil and natural gas. Brussels will likely focus on securing additional fossil fuel deliveries into the EU. In return, apart from seeking greater access to the EU market, Baku will likely also push Brussels for greater support in its bid to join the WTO.

Brussels will likely also address ongoing tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia, following the Nagorno-Karabakh War of 2020. The EU recently acted as a mediator between the two countries and hopes to facilitate lasting peace. However, Baku may feel it has the upper hand, given the EU’s ongoing search for alternatives to Russian fossil fuels.