Farid Shafiyev: Azerbaijan and EU should formalize deepening partnership with new agreement

Azerbaijan expects to conclude a new legal agreement with the European Union reflecting the deepening of bilateral partnership, while expanding practical cooperation in energy, transport connectivity and post-conflict reconstruction, Farid Shafiyev, Chairman of the Board of the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center), said in Brussels at the "Azerbaijan and the European Union: New Prospects" forum, jointly organized by the AIR Center, according to Report's European Bureau.

"The concentration of visits by the heads of European institutions within a single year speaks for itself. It reflects a shared understanding that our partnership matters and is more important today than it was just a few years ago," Shafiyev said.

He also highlighted the importance of transport connectivity, particularly the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project and the development of the Middle Corridor, which links Europe and Asia via the Caspian Sea and the South Caucasus.

"Connectivity creates interdependence, and interdependence fosters a shared interest in stability," the AIR Center head noted.

According to Shafiyev, the European Union could also contribute to post-conflict reconstruction, humanitarian demining and the restoration of railway links with Nakhchivan.

He separately identified energy as a key pillar of Azerbaijan-EU relations, noting that Azerbaijan had established itself as a reliable supplier of natural gas to Europe.

Further cooperation, he said, should cover both hydrocarbons, which will remain part of Europe's energy mix in the coming years, and renewable energy sources, including the development of a green energy corridor linking the Caspian region with the European market.