Azernews.Az

Qabil Ashirov

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The seventh meeting of the Azerbaijan–European Union Security Dialogue was held in Baku on May 20, bringing together senior officials from both sides to review the state of bilateral relations and discuss key foreign and security policy priorities, AzerNEWS reports.

The participants held detailed and constructive exchanges on the current trajectory of Azerbaijan–EU relations. They welcomed the recent intensification of high-level engagement, including visits to Azerbaijan by the President of the European Council António Costa and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, as well as their meetings with the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing bilateral cooperation, particularly through ongoing negotiations on new Partnership Priorities and a prospective new agreement. They also stressed the importance of maintaining regular dialogue under the existing Azerbaijan–EU Partnership and Cooperation framework.

Discussions covered a broad range of regional and international issues, including geopolitical developments, foreign policy coordination, connectivity, energy security, and the Middle Corridor. The EU reiterated Azerbaijan’s importance as a strategic partner in regional connectivity and energy diversification, emphasizing the need for sustainable, cost-efficient, and rules-based cooperation.

The European Union also reaffirmed its support for humanitarian demining operations in Azerbaijan. During the visit, EU representatives traveled on May 19 to the Karabakh region and East Zangezur, including the Aghdam district, where they observed ongoing demining activities carried out by Azerbaijani authorities.

The talks further included an exchange of views on the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process. The EU welcomed recent progress, including confidence-building measures and increased contacts between the sides, and called for continued dialogue and practical engagement to ensure lasting peace.

In a significant institutional development, both sides agreed to expand and rename the format as the Azerbaijan–EU Political and Security Dialogue, reflecting its growing scope and strategic relevance.

The meeting was co-chaired by Hikmet Hajiyev and Olof Skoog.