site.btaBulgarian Foreign Minister, President of Azerbaijan Discuss Cooperation in Energy

Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev met with the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev in Baku where Minister Georgiev attends the XII Global Baku Forum, said Georgiev’s Ministry Thursday. He is quoted as saying that Bulgaria’s relations with Azerbaijan are of great importance, recalling that back in 2015 they were elevated to the level of strategic partnership.

The meeting was also attended by Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov and the Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov.

During the talks, Minister Georgiev underlined that Azerbaijan is a reliable partner and a priority for Bulgaria in the region of the South Caucasus and the wider Black Sea region. Minister Georgiev highlighted the Joint Declaration on Strengthening the Strategic Partnership signed in 2024, which builds on and widens the scope of bilateral cooperation in priority areas such as energy and connectivity and gives additional impetus to other priority spheres like tourism, intercultural connections and relations between the two nations.

President Aliev confirmed the excellent relations between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan as well as the existing multiple possibilities for the deepening of the bilateral dialogue and strategic partnership between the two countries. He emphasized the close partnership and friendly bilateral relations, based on the cooperation in priority areas of mutual interest, but also the close institutional and personal relations.

Foreign Minister Georgiev described the dialogue in the energy sector as the main asset in the political exchange with Azerbaijan. As a key partner in the field of energy for Bulgaria, Azerbaijan has substantial contribution for the diversification of natural gas supplies for the Bulgarian economy. It is a strategic energy partner of the European Union with essential contribution to the energy security of Europe. Georg Georgiev confirmed Bulgaria’s intentions to continue working on guarantees to become a regional center for the distribution of natural gas from Azerbaijan and other sources. He expressed this belief that the two states will gain substantially from the development of this cooperation.

President Aliev and Minister Georgiev discussed the situation in Europe and the world as a whole and agreed that achieving a more secure and stable wider Black Sea region depends on the growing sustainability and improvement of connectivity in all its dimensions. The connectivity of infrastructure, energy, transport, digital and social sectors are of great importance for security, investment, support for young people and the encouragement of a positive economic medium, said the Foreign Ministry.