Von der Leyen to visit Azerbaijan and Armenia as EU deepens South Caucasus ties

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is due to visit Azerbaijan and Armenia next week in a fresh push to deepen the European Union's engagement with the two South Caucasus neighbours. The trip is set to begin in Baku on 1 July, where she is expected to meet President Ilham Aliyev. The visit comes as Brussels seeks to strengthen cooperation on energy, infrastructure and regional stability after years of conflict between the two countries.

Sponsored

According to sources in Yerevan and Baku with knowledge of the plans, talks in the Azerbaijani capital will focus on expanding energy supplies to Europe and on key regional infrastructure projects. The visit will be von der Leyen's first to Baku since 2022, when the EU and Azerbaijan signed a strategic energy partnership as Europe moved to reduce its dependence on Russian energy. It will also be her first visit since Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to make peace after decades of war over Karabakh.

The planned trip follows a series of high-level EU contacts with Azerbaijan. European Council President Antonio Costa visited Baku in March and said Brussels and Baku were working on a new framework for closer cooperation on defence, security and digital development. Costa said energy security was a cornerstone of EU cooperation with Azerbaijan, underlining the country's role in the bloc's efforts to diversify gas, oil and green energy supplies.

The latest visit is expected to continue that political dialogue. Azerbaijan has become an important supplier for several European states, and the supporting material says 16 European countries currently receive Azerbaijani gas, including 10 EU member states. Italy is identified as the top EU importer of Azerbaijani energy, a point reinforced by the visit of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Baku in May.

Sponsored

For the EU, the relationship with Azerbaijan is therefore not only diplomatic but also tied to energy security at a time when supply diversification remains a strategic priority. Connectivity is another major theme in the developing relationship. The Middle Corridor, a transport route linking Europe and Asia through the South Caucasus, is being presented as a strategic opportunity for alternative trade and transport links.

The supporting material says this has gained importance after disruptions linked to Iran, making regional infrastructure cooperation more relevant for both sides. That gives the visit a wider economic dimension beyond the immediate bilateral agenda. The trip also carries political significance because it comes after Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to make peace following decades of conflict over Karabakh.

The South Caucasus has long been shaped by competing regional interests, including Moscow's historic influence, and the EU has been trying to expand its role there through diplomacy and practical cooperation. Von der Leyen's visit suggests Brussels sees an opening to support a more stable regional order while also advancing its own energy and connectivity goals. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos is expected to join von der Leyen on both visits, according to the supporting material.

Kos this week launched the EU's new Connectivity Agenda Platform, which fits with the broader emphasis on transport and infrastructure links. The presence of senior EU figures indicates that the trip is being treated as part of a wider policy effort rather than a one-off diplomatic stop. What remains unclear is the full agenda for the Armenia leg of the trip and whether any concrete agreements will be announced during the visit.