European Commission President Visits Azerbaijan

(Vasif Huseynov – The Jamestown Foundation) On July 1, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Baku for the first leg of a two-day South Caucasus tour, meeting Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to discuss energy cooperation, regional connectivity, and the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process. Von der Leyen announced a 200 million euro ($229 million) Global Gateway grant package for South Caucasus connectivity, projected to mobilize up to 2 billion euros ($2.29 billion) in combined public and private investment, alongside a proposed EU–Azerbaijan Connectivity Partnership. The visit reflected a broader recalibration of EU–Azerbaijan relations, with Baku becoming a strategic partner in energy security and Middle Corridor connectivity while advancing negotiations on a new bilateral framework agreement to replace the 1999 Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. – European Commission President Visits Azerbaijan – Jamestown