Azerbaijan

EU – Azerbaijan Relations

The EU cooperates with Azerbaijan in the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy and its eastern regional dimension, the Eastern Partnership. Relations between the European Union and  Azerbaijan are based on the EU-Azerbaijan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), which has been in effect since 1999. In February 2017, the EU and Azerbaijan launched negotiations on a new framework agreement aimed at revitalising political dialogue and fostering mutually beneficial cooperation. On September 2018, the Cooperation Council further endorsed these priorities, setting out the joint policy directions that guided and strengthened the EU-Azerbaijan Partnership over the following years.  Partnership priorities were also endorsed on 28 September 2018 by the Cooperation Council.

EU – Azerbaijan Cooperation

Cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan is founded on shared interests and is guided by three main areas of cooperation: 1) Investing in connectivity and climate action; 2) Economic development and market opportunities; 3) Strengthening institutions and people-to-people contacts. Conversely, Azerbaijan is a reliable energy partner, important to diversifying the EU’s energy supplies.

For the period 2021-2027, EU support is funded through the NDICI-Global Europe instrument. Funds are programmed based on the Multiannual Action Plan 2025-2027. Next to bilateral cooperation, Azerbaijan also benefits from regional and thematic programmes, focused on human rights and civil society. EU-Azerbaijan cooperation rests on the long-term policy priorities of the Eastern Partnership. 

In addition, under the Global Gateway, the EU has mobilized over EUR 130 million of investments, fostering the country’s economic diversification, accelerating the green and digital transition, and promoting smarter and greener cities. 

With a dedicated Team Europe Initiative on Mine Action amounting to EUR 23 million, the EU and its Member States are the largest international donor to humanitarian mine action in Azerbaijan, providing vital support to reduce risks, save lives, and promote sustainable development.

Regional context

EU-Azerbaijan relations are also shaped by the EU’s broader Strategic Approach to the Black Sea region, announced in May 2025. The EU will take forward regional cooperation on connectivity through closer cooperation with Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia, Türkiye, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The strategy seeks to bring tangible benefits to Black Sea partners and the EU by investing in and deepening key mutually beneficial partnerships.

Key facts and figures

Stronger Economy

• The EU is Azerbaijan’s largest trading partner and biggest export and import market. It is also Azerbaijan’s leading foreign investor, in both the oil and non-oil sectors.
• The EU supports Azerbaijani companies through the EU4Business initiative by offering funding, training and export assistance to access new markets. Additionally, the EU helps the government enhance Azerbaijan’s business and investment climate.
• The EU also supports Azerbaijan’s economic diversification agenda, particularly through educational and regional development initiatives.

Stronger Governance

• Over the past 10 years, Azerbaijan has benefited from the EU’s technical know-how and the practical experience of EU civil servants through TAIEX and Twinning. These initiatives have contributed to developing and improving legislative alignment with EU standards.
• The EU helps to promote better access to justice for citizens and businesses. With EU support, more than 5,300 vulnerable individuals have received free legal aid in Baku and the regions since 2020. The EU also assisted in  developing the Mediation Communication and Awareness Strategy for 2025-2028.
• The EU continues to stress the importance of defending human rights, promoting civil society as well as the freedom of media, expression, and assembly in Azerbaijan. 

Stronger Connectivity

• The EU supports closer regional cooperation with the South Caucasus on connectivity through its Strategic Approach to the Black Sea region and a dedicated Connectivity Agenda. The EU remains committed to contributing to a prosperous and stable South Caucasus by fostering ties across the region, bringing economies and people closer together.
• Azerbaijan plays a crucial role in the joint development of the Cross-Regional Connectivity Agenda linking Europe, the South Caucasus, Türkiye, and Central Asia.
• Under the Global Gateway strategy, expected mobilised investments now exceed EUR 130 million, fostering the country’s economic diversification, accelerating the green and digital transition, and promoting smarter and greener cities.
• Within this framework, the European Union and Azerbaijan, together with the EBRD, have agreed to launch a feasibility study for the development of the Nakhchivan railway project, a key investment to improve mobility and economic flows across Azerbaijan and the wider region. This railway forms part of the broader Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, which aims to link Europe and Central Asia with a target transit time of 15 days.
• Azerbaijan is an important energy partner for the EU, currently supplying around 4% of the EU’s gas demand. The country plays a key role in bringing Caspian gas resources to the EU market through the Southern Gas Corridor. 

Stronger Society

• Over 6,000 students and academic staff have benefitted from Erasmus+ international mobility projects. Since 2021, EU support has enabled over 724 students to enrol in dual vocational education training programmes, with a graduation rate of over 80%.
• The EU-Azerbaijan Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreements, which entered into force in 2014, make it easier and cheaper for Azerbaijani citizens to obtain short-term visas and travel to most EU countries.

Further information

Factsheets available to download