Elchin Amirbayov, Belgian officials mull expanding Baku-Brussels economic cooperation

Azerbaijan is interested in developing trade and economic relations with Belgium, the Azerbaijani President's Special Representative Elchin Amirbayov said at a meeting with journalists in Brussels, Report informs.

"Marking 33 years of diplomatic relations, ties between Azerbaijan and Belgium were described as 'steady and constructive.' During his visit, Amirbayov met senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the diplomatic adviser to His Majesty the King, and representatives from the Prime Minister's Office and parliament," The Brussels Times said.

Economic relations, however, remain relatively limited, the news outlet noted. "Trade stood at under $90 million in 2024, a figure both sides acknowledge does not reflect their potential. Around 20 Belgian companies currently operate in Azerbaijan, with opportunities identified in logistics, infrastructure, transportation, renewable energy, port development, and agriculture."

Amirbayov also touched upon relations between Azerbaijan and the EU.

"A significant part of the visit [of Amirbayov] focused on Azerbaijan's ambition to elevate relations with the European Union to the level of strategic partnership - a status it maintains with several countries, including China and the United Kingdom," said The Brussels Times.

The Belgian outlet highlighted that while a formal partnership agreement remains under negotiation, political dialogue has intensified in recent years: "High-level meetings between President Ilham Aliyev, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President António Costa reflect growing cooperation on energy, connectivity, and regional stability."

Azerbaijan supplies natural gas to ten European countries, including eight EU member states, and is expanding investments in wind, solar, and hydrogen - areas where EU involvement is expected to deepen.

"Amirbayov underlined that although negotiations were previously paused due to the pandemic, both sides acknowledge that relations are already strong in practice. Formalising them, he said, would be a natural next step," said The Brussels Times.