On March 11, the military confrontation breaking out in the Middle East to the landscape, President of the European Council, Antonio Costa had visited Բաքու՝ what?heto attach With Aliyev։ As a result of negotiations fthe interlocutors reconfirm are committed to strengthening cooperation on a wide range of issues, from energy and communications to security and economic development.

According to the results of the meeting, Koshtan and Aliyev performed with a joint statement to the press, in which they emphasized the “strategic importance of the partnership between Azerbaijan and the EU” and expressed determination to deepen political dialogue and practical cooperation. Baku and Brussels intend to build on the “positive dynamics observed during recent high-level meetings” by expanding cooperation in areas such as security, energy and transport.

of the document according to which the partnership contributes to “peace, stability, establishment of ties and sustainable development in the Black Sea region, South Caucasus and Central Asia”. The parties will continue negotiations on a new comprehensive agreement, which is designed to form a modern legal basis for cooperation and to replace the current partnership agreement that regulates relations between the countries.

The leaders of the Council of Europe and Azerbaijan discussed regional security and the development of the peace process between Baku and Yerevan, welcoming the agreement reached at the summit in Washington on August 8, 2025. «historical impulse» in the process of regulating relations.  Costa reaffirmed that Brussels supports the ongoing bilateral dialogue aimed at achieving sustainable peace in the South Caucasus.

During the summary press conference, Aliyev noted the wide range of cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan, emphasizing that the alliance is the main economic partner of the Caspian country. almost 50 percent of the merchandise turnover of Azerbaijan in January fell to European Union countries, moreover, in the coming years, this indicator will increase due to the expansion of economic projects and mutual investments.

Energy remains the central element of bilateral partnership. Gas exports from the fields of the Western Caspian Sea to the European market continue to grow. In January, supplies via the Trans-Adriatic pipeline reached Germany and Austria. so Azerbaijan supplies gas to 16 countries, including 12 European countries. Azerbaijan last year exported about 25 billion cubic meters of natural gas, receiving an income of about 8.8 billion dollars, thein which about 13 billion cubic meters went to the European Union. These figures confirm Azerbaijan’s reputation as a reliable energy partner at a time when Europe continues to reduce its dependence on Russian energy resources. The country’s geographical location and infrastructure allow it to serve as an energy bridge between the Caspian region and European markets.

Costa supported Aliyev’s words, calling energy security “the cornerstone of our bilateral cooperation”. He reminded: In 2022, the European Union began to diversify energy sources, and Azerbaijan played a key role in this effort thanks to the Southern Gas Corridor..  Partnership is even more important became as Europe seeks to reduce dependence on Russian energy carriers.

In Baku, attention was repeatedly drawn to the need to increase European investments for the maintenance and expansion of the country’s energy capacities: Speaking At the annual advisory meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor initiative, Aliyev noted that the existing pipeline network is already operating at full capacity, stressing the need to expand transportation infrastructure and build new pipelines to deliver additional volumes of gas to European markets.

Investments in Azerbaijan’s energy sector have traditionally been a point of contention between Baku and European politicians: Aliyev at the Davos conference at the beginning of the year had criticized In his opinion, Europe’s financial support to Azerbaijan’s energy sector is insufficient. “Europe is not particularly interested in investing in fossil fuel or renewable energy extraction in Azerbaijan,” when long-term guarantees of demand and capital investment are needed to justify new extraction and infrastructure expansion projects.

In the coming years, Azerbaijan is going to increase its production capacity. Several new projects are expected to increase production, including additional development phases for large offshore fields such as «Shahdeniz», and: «A:Mrsheron» expansion of gas field production. According to Baku’s forecasts, these projects will allow to increase production by 10-15 billion cubic meters of gas per year, at the peak of production at the end of the decade.

In addition, Azerbaijan is expanding the renewable energy sector by cooperating with international partners. By the early 2030s, Govt provides generate six to eight gigawatts of renewable electricity through investments in wind, solar and hydropower projects. Some of this electricity could eventually be exported to Europe in projects such as the Black Sea Submarine Cable, which aims to transmit renewable energy from the South Caucasus to South-Eastern Europe.

US and Israeli aggression against Iran has led to increased tension in global energy markets. Liquefied natural gas supplies from Qatar collapsed after Iran retaliated. During his visit to Baku, Costa diplomatically noted that the ongoing military tensions in the Middle East and the cessation of oil and gas supplies through the Strait of Hormuz indicate the need for a reliable energy partnership, the clear prospects of which are not clearly visible.

In addition to energy, aspects have been important as well as cooperation in the fields of regional communication and transport: Europe Connecting Central Asia and China «Middle corridor» Azerbaijan’s role in development has strengthened its position as a transit link: The European Union reaffirms its commitment to support connectivity initiatives under the Global Gateway program, including the development of the railway project in Nakhijevan and new economic cooperation mechanisms designed to promote trade and investment.

Costa’s visit to Baku showed the general interest in deepening ties with the European Union, which persists in its confrontational anti-Russian course. For Azerbaijan, the expansion of projects for the export of energy carriers and the creation of transport corridors provides an opportunity to strengthen its position in the dialogue with the West, but the real dynamics of gas production far from a winning relationship։

Either way, Baku expects the European Union to take practical steps, especially in terms of investments, to modernize energy and transport links, and move from declarations to concrete actions.

Alexander Grigoriev

vpoanalytics.com

Translation by Zhanna Avetisyan

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Relatives and representatives of Armenian prisoners held illegally in Azerbaijan have written to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, Ignazio Cassis, as well as the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Miryana Spoliarich Eger, with a request to launch the “Patronizing Power” mechanism within the framework of international humanitarian law. It informs about this “Center for International and Comparative Law”, the head of which is Siranush Sahakyan, the representative of the interests of Armenian prisoners at the ECHR.

“We, the relatives and representatives of Armenian prisoners held illegally in Azerbaijan, express our deep concern regarding the complete closure of the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Azerbaijan. This has significantly worsened the already dire situation of our relatives, leaving us in deep uncertainty about their fate and whereabouts.

Taking into account the above and recalling the obligations defined in the framework of international humanitarian law, we, with all respect, but also firmly call on Armenia to officially appeal to the government of the Swiss Confederation, so that the Swiss side assumes the role of “Patron Power”. This is a necessary and urgent step to ensure the protection of the rights, safety and dignity of our relatives through internationally recognized mechanisms.

We realize that the institution of “Patronizing Power” has not been used in recent decades and may seem unusual in today’s context, but the exceptional and illegal circumstances we are dealing with require just such exceptional measures. “Azerbaijan continues to keep Armenian prisoners isolated from their families, independent lawyers and impartial humanitarian organizations, which is a gross violation of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions of 1949,” the letter states.

Noting that at least 19 people are currently being held in Baku, their relatives report that this situation has led to a serious vacuum in the protection of rights, creating high risks of violence, ill-treatment and even enforced disappearance.

“Given these urgent and extraordinary circumstances, as well as Switzerland’s status as the host state of the ICRC and a major supporter of international humanitarian law, we respectfully request:

• The Government of the Republic of Armenia to officially appeal to the Government of the Swiss Confederation to assume the role of “Patronizing Power” in relation to all Armenian prisoners held by Azerbaijan.
• To the Government of the Swiss Confederation to grant Armenia’s request and act as a “Protecting Power”, protecting the rights and dignity of prisoners as much as possible.
• The International Committee of the Red Cross, as a substitute for the “Patron Power”, to support this appointment and assist Switzerland in the performance of its functions.

Time is of crucial importance. Continued delay may exacerbate the suffering of illegally detained persons and increase threats to their lives and physical integrity. Therefore, we call on the governments of the Republic of Armenia and Switzerland to take appropriate steps within the scope of their mandate, and to do it at the right time. In addition, we ask the International Committee of the Red Cross to support it in order to ensure the effective application of international law and the proper protection of the rights of ethnic Armenians in the conditions of ongoing violations,” the letter states.

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Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev on his Telegram channel writes:

“Of course, no Trump and America will leave NATO. It makes no sense, and the Congress will not allow it. Trump rhetoric it is pure epitaph. Although symbolic actions, such as the reduction of American troops or refusal to supply something, are possible. That is not what is remarkable here.

It is obvious that there are strong contradictions within the Alliance, which were exacerbated by the Iranian campaign. And European political leaders, especially in Brussels, have seriously considered creating a full-fledged military component within the EU. And this changes the image of the world.

Until now, our rhetoric regarding joining the European Union has been restrained and calm towards all neighbors, even the border Ukraine. If you want, become a member. But now everything has to change. now the EU is no longer an economic union. It can quickly turn into a full-fledged military alliance extremely hostile to Russia, which is in some ways worse than NATO. It will be a disgusting collection of bigoted European parasites. And their task will be to earn political capital and, of course, money by inflaming anti-Russian hysteria.

What am I doing this for? That’s why. it’s time to give up the tolerant attitude towards our neighbors joining the military-economic European Union. Including: “404 country”.

This was already done by our President in a cautious way recently, hinting to a certain friend Vovaevich that membership in EAEU and membership in the European Union are incompatible…” wrote the former President of Russia.

Let’s remind that the other day during the meeting between Putin and Pashinyan in Moscow, the President of the Russian Federation had said“Russia is calm about the relations between Armenia and the EU, but Yerevan will not be able to be a member of two customs unions at the same time.”

Published by 168.am

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Levon Zurabyan writes: “WHAT DOES THE QUESTION OF THE DESTRUCTION OF ARTSAK ALWAYS REMOVE NIKOL PASHINIAN?”

The significance of Pashinyan recognizing Nagorno Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan seems not to be fully understood. Pashinyan himself and his lawyers justify this recognition by the fact that before him, Putin recognized Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.

These speakers rely on the fact that people far from politics do not understand the most important principles of conflict resolution diplomacy.

Not only Putin, but also former President of Russia Yeltsin, as well as US Presidents Clinton, Bush and others, France, Iran, China recognized Nagorno Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan after the collapse of the USSR and made many statements about it.

The whole problem, however, is that until the parties to the conflict (from 1994 to 1999, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh, and from 1999, after Nagorno-Karabakh was excluded from the negotiation format, Armenia and Azerbaijan) did not reach an agreement on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, the world continued to believe that there is a conflict over the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is not resolved, but should be resolved through peaceful negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group. Moreover, proposals for a peaceful settlement were put on the negotiation table by the co-chairs of the Minsk Group – the USA, France and Russia. in case of implementation, the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh status issue would be suspended indefinitely, and Artsakh would receive de facto independence under established peace conditions.

This possibility was finally closed by Nikol Pashinyan by recognizing Nagorno Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan in 2022. Pashinyan is actually right in saying that he shut down the Karabakh movement and he did it with his 2022 decision.

With the decision to recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, the conflict, which was based on the disagreement over the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, formally ended, because the recognized parties of the conflict, Armenia and Azerbaijan, came to an agreement. From that moment, the Republic of Artsakh became an “illegal separatist association” from the point of view of international law, for the destruction of which Azerbaijan received all the rights. Neither the Russians, whose peacekeepers, by the way, did not even have a mandate to open fire, nor any other country or international organization had the right to hinder Azerbaijan’s “anti-terrorist operation”, which the fruitless discussions in the UN Security Council also testified.

Azerbaijan could not miss the created opportunity. if he delayed, the continued existence of the Republic of Artsakh would be re-legitimized as a reality on the ground. Yes, the genocidal deportation of Armenians from Artsakh was carried out by Azerbaijan, but Nikol Pashinyan ensured the impunity of such a move and the absence of any international consequences.

Thus, Artsakh was destroyed because of Pashinyan’s decision, and that guilt will remain on his conscience forever. And why he did so is the subject of another publication.”

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On March 26, in a regular briefing with journalists, Nikol Pashinyan referred to the genocidal acts committed by Azerbaijan in Artsakh in 2023 and said:

“We can say ethnic cleansing, but I consider this word harmful, because we can say ethnic cleansing and get a mirror of ethnic cleansing, then genocide, mirror genocide, everything mirrored, it means to enter the path of conflict. That’s not my concern. And I, as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, say that I completely refuse, so to speak, the agenda of restoration of historical justice, we must go after the just reality.” had noted Nikol Pashinyan.

How do Genocide scientists imagine their activities under these conditions, does this mean that they will be subject to censorship from now on in order to reveal the historical truth?

Genocide scholar Suren Manukyan, Head of the Department of Comparative Genocide Studies of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute in other words, if the government has made a decision about what they should talk about and what not, that is their problem, it cannot affect his work activity in any way.

“My profession is to talk about those topics, if they tell me that you shouldn’t talk about those topics, it means that I should leave the field of science, engage in business or something else. To practice my profession and not talk about historical justice and not characterize what happened in Artsakh, which is genocide, would be simply ridiculous. If I don’t talk about all this myself, then as a specialist, I will stop respecting myself.” of 168.am Suren Manukyan said in a conversation with

According to our interlocutor, what he says is not only his personal opinion, but the opinion of universal genocide scholars. This is the opinion accepted and confirmed by genocide scholars and scientists in different countries of the world. In this case, he does not imagine how he can not talk about all that and remain silent.

“It is my duty, I do it. I don’t think that the head of the state or any other person should decide how a scientist should do science, because science is an area of ​​freedom. In other words, it gives you the freedom to deal with the topics you deal with, and that freedom should be limited only by not contradicting the objective truth. If it has to be in the form of a state order, then we are really going back to the era of censorship with you. But it was a different country, with its rules of the game, after all, it was not the Republic of Armenia, it was not the national state of Armenia.

And if at the political level they think it’s problematic, then they don’t even use it recently,” added Suren Manukyan.

Continuing, Suren Manukyan said that recently the government does not use the word Artsakh, they do not take steps towards the restoration of justice, that is, they have been implementing this policy for several years, they just started talking about it now.

Suren Manukyan answered the question: if the Armenian Genocide of 1915 was condemned and accepted by the world, would it be followed by other genocidal acts, including the one that took place in Artsakh in September 2023?

Genocide experts believe that not talking about the genocide, suppressing the memory of the genocide, or banning the victim from discussing the topic lead to new genocides.

I have said and I repeat now that the issue of recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide is also a very important component of our foreign political security. For many years, we used it, increasing our national security level to a certain extent.

The louder we talked about it, demanded that Turkey recognize the Armenian Genocide, restore historical justice, the more problematic it was for Turkey to issue threats or carry out actions against Armenia. When you are silent, you open the door for them, when you don’t talk about Artsakh, you open the door of “Western Azerbaijan”, in my opinion, at least that’s how it is. Suren Manukyan mentioned.

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