Ukraine ready to become key energy hub for Azerbaijan in Europe – Ukrainian Foreign Minister

Ukraine is prepared to become a key energy hub for Azerbaijan in Europe, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha announced following a "strategically important and eventful" visit to Baku.

"Like the EU, we view Azerbaijan as a key contributor to Europe's energy security and are ready to support this with our expertise in transit and our gas storage facilities, which are the largest in Europe. Ukraine is ready to become a key energy hub for Azerbaijan in Europe," Sybiha wrote on Facebook.

He emphasized that Azerbaijan is a critically important partner in enhancing Ukraine's resilience – especially in the energy sector – and in promoting Ukraine and its efforts toward achieving a just and lasting peace among Turkic and Islamic nations.

"I discussed all of this in detail at every meeting – first and foremost with the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and a friend of Ukraine, Ilham Aliyev. I personally thanked him for Azerbaijan's principled stance in respecting Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. I also expressed special gratitude for the humanitarian and energy assistance provided by Azerbaijan from the earliest days of the full-scale invasion and during the harshest winters, for offering shelter to Ukrainians, supporting the recovery of our children, and contributing to the reconstruction of Irpin," the minister said.

He stressed that Azerbaijan is a strategic partner, and now is the right moment to give this partnership new momentum, particularly at the highest political level. Sybiha reminded that this was also agreed upon by Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ilham Aliyev during their meeting in Davos.

According to Sybiha, during meetings with Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov, they discussed the full agenda of bilateral relations with a particular focus on trade, investment, and energy.

"We agreed to work on holding a meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation in the near future," the foreign minister reported.

The two sides also had a detailed discussion about Azerbaijani business operations in Ukraine and increasing investment. Despite the Russian invasion, Ukraine remains an attractive market and a reliable partner, Sybiha said, adding, "We will support and protect Azerbaijani investments in the Ukrainian economy."

The minister also briefed his Azerbaijani counterparts on the negotiation process with the EU and the implications of Ukraine's potential membership for Azerbaijani investment and business.

The parties further discussed Azerbaijan's participation in the upcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference, scheduled for July 10–11 in Rome. Sybiha emphasized that Ukraine counts on Azerbaijan's involvement. In this context, they also addressed cooperation in the field of demining, as Azerbaijan possesses high-quality expertise and proprietary technologies that are in great demand in Ukraine.