Energy, Trade And Connectivity: Key Economic Outcomes Of Dublin EPC Summit For Azerbaijan
The summit was held under the motto“Europe – strong, secure and connected”. In the face of ongoing security challenges, the need to diversify energy supplies and strengthen transport routes, European leaders have paid attention not only to the continent's internal resilience, but also to cooperation with partners outside the EU. In this context, Azerbaijan was seen as one of the important participants in the emerging system of energy and transport connectivity between Europe and the Caspian region and Central Asia.
Azerbaijan's participation in the Dublin EPC Summit was accompanied by an intense diplomatic agenda and covered a wide range of issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Within one day, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held a series of meetings with leaders of European states and institutions, discussing energy security, transport connectivity, trade and economic relations, investments, and regional stability.
President Aliyev held meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Romanian President Nicușor Dan, European Council President António Costa, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
At the negotiations with Zelenskyy, the parties discussed the expansion of economic and trade ties, cooperation between the private sector, and the prospects for mutual visits. The Ukrainian President expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan for humanitarian assistance, in particular for the supply of electrical equipment.
The meeting with Maia Sandu was dedicated to the further development of energy cooperation, strengthening trade ties, and interaction in the agricultural sector. Sandu thanked Azerbaijan for its support in strengthening Moldova's energy security.
During the negotiations with the Prime Minister of Greece, special attention was paid to the role of Azerbaijan in ensuring the country's energy security and the importance of TAP. The parties also considered additional opportunities for exporting Azerbaijani gas to Europe.
During the meeting with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, the prospects for energy partnership, the creation of an electricity corridor, and issues of interconnectivity were discussed. Economic and trade relations, investment projects, and the role of Azerbaijan in ensuring the energy security of the Czech Republic were discussed with the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic.
Meetings with the Presidents of Romania and Lithuania, as well as the President of the European Council, António Costa, added to the agenda of European cooperation and regional connectivity.
A separate result of the visit was the signing of a strategic declaration with the UK, which cemented the two countries' intention to expand cooperation in energy, transport, investment, digital technology, and security.
Sustainable peace in South Caucasus also important for Europe
On the sidelines of the summit, President Ilham Aliyev met with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. The negotiations continued the dialogue initiated at the Washington Peace Summit on August 8, 2025, and enshrined in the Washington Joint Declaration.
The parties discussed practical steps to further strengthen peace, develop transport and transit communications, economic and trade relations, border delimitation, and the implementation of confidence-building measures.
Particular attention was paid to the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project. The leaders reviewed the progress of work on planning and designing the railway and road sections of the route, as well as the prospects for the development of transit communications.
An important practical evidence of the progress of regional normalization was the discussion of cargo transportation already taking place. Since November 2025, a total of 105,000 tons of cargo have been transported through the territory of Azerbaijan to Armenia. The parties noted the transit of goods to and from Armenia through Azerbaijani territory as a positive development.
The meeting in Dublin once again showed that the agenda of Azerbaijani-Armenian normalization gradually covered not only issues of political settlement, but also the practical restoration of regional ties. The development of transport routes, transit, trade, and energy infrastructure became one of the tools for strengthening peace.
Europe wants to receive as much energy resources as possible from Azerbaijan
The energy component has become one of the most prominent areas of discussion in Dublin. Against the background of the desire of European countries to diversify sources and routes of supply, Azerbaijan remains important as a supplier of natural gas and oil, as well as a potential partner in the development of renewable energy, and trans-regional energy corridors.
The interest of European partners in expanding cooperation with Azerbaijan was further confirmed by statements made on the sidelines of the summit.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin linked Azerbaijan's participation in the EPC to tangible outcomes for the continent's economic security, including energy supply and countering hybrid threats. He emphasized that the forum enables European nations and partners from outside the EU to coordinate their approaches to common challenges.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu expressed Chisinau's interest in broadening energy cooperation with Baku. She noted that energy remains a significant challenge for Moldova, despite reforms implemented in recent years and efforts to diversify supply sources. She expressed hope that engagement with Azerbaijan would help identify further opportunities for collaboration.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev also confirmed an interest in increasing supplies of Azerbaijani gas, noting that Bulgaria would welcome additional volumes to meet its own energy needs. Furthermore, Radev highlighted the advancement of a green energy corridor project involving Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, and Bulgaria.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, for his part, stated that Zagreb is interested in importing natural gas from Azerbaijan, noting that Azerbaijan is already a supplier of oil to the Croatian market.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda also underscored the importance of Azerbaijan to Europe's energy security.
Middle Corridor and region's new transport architecture
Transport connectivity has emerged as a vital area of cooperation between Azerbaijan and its European partners. The Middle Corridor, which links China and Central Asia to Europe via the Caspian Sea and the South Caucasus, is gaining added significance as European nations seek to diversify their trade routes and enhance the resilience of their supply chains.
A key outcome of the summit was the strengthening of this dimension within the bilateral relationship between Azerbaijan and the UK. On the sidelines of the forum, President Ilham Aliyev and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham signed a joint declaration on strategic partnership.
The document provides for, among other things, intensified cooperation on the Middle Corridor, the development of transport, logistics, and infrastructure, and expanded collaboration in renewable energy, "green" finance, low-carbon technologies, and innovation. Particular attention was also given to artificial intelligence and digital governance.
The declaration further underscored the importance of the Middle Corridor as a tool for fostering cross-border trade and investment. The two sides agreed to utilize their joint intergovernmental commission as the primary mechanism for advancing initiatives related to investment, economic diversification, the development of the corridor, and energy cooperation.
The significance of transport connectivity was also highlighted during other meetings held by the President of Azerbaijan. Specifically, discussions with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev focused on the creation of an electricity corridor and the further development of bilateral cooperation. Meanwhile, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, commenting on the importance of the Middle Corridor, noted the interest among European countries in developing reliable transport and energy links with partners beyond the EU. Thus, the transport agenda of the Dublin summit encompassed several interconnected areas: the development of the Middle Corridor, the establishment of new regional routes, the expansion of the capacity of existing infrastructure, and the restoration of economic ties in the South Caucasus.
For Azerbaijan, this represents an opportunity to strengthen its role as a transit hub between Europe and Asia, not merely by virtue of its geographical location, but also through infrastructure development and the expansion of international partnerships.
European partners on role of Azerbaijan
The significance of Azerbaijan to Europe was also reflected in the assessments offered by other summit participants.
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša stressed the importance of the Caspian region to Europe's energy security, noting that its resources could make a substantial contribution to the development of the continent's strategic economy.
President of North Macedonia Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova described Azerbaijan as a significant factor for stability; she linked the decision to host the EPC summit in the country in 2028 to the trust placed in Baku and the recognition of its role in regional and international affairs.
Speaking on the prospects for TRIPP, Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset said that any initiatives contributing to the strengthening of international peace and security deserved support. At the same time, he emphasized the need for such initiatives to be embraced by the populations of the countries directly affected.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda expressed hope for a lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, speaking positively of the parties' efforts to advance the normalization of relations.
For her part, President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola emphasized that the diversification of energy supplies remains a priority for the EU, not least as a means to reduce costs for European households and businesses.
These assessments highlight that Azerbaijan features on the European agenda in several capacities: as an energy partner, a transit country, a participant in the regional peace process, and a hub for developing interregional connectivity.
EPC Summit in Azerbaijan in 2028: new phase of engagement
The Dublin summit took on added significance given that the next major milestone for Azerbaijan will be hosting a meeting of the EPC in 2028.
In an exclusive interview with Trend ahead of the summit, Slovak Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Juraj Blanár stated that hosting the forum in Azerbaijan would create opportunities to intensify engagement between the European Union and the entire South Caucasus region.
According to him, the upcoming summit should reaffirm the EPC's role as a platform for open dialogue and practical cooperation among European states, a space for overcoming differences, building trust, and developing collective responses to geopolitical, economic, and security-related challenges.
Blanár especially emphasized the strategic importance of the South Caucasus as a connecting link between Europe and Central Asia, as well as its growing role in the energy security of the European continent.
He noted that Azerbaijan has been a key partner in the development of transport, energy, and digital cooperation, and that hosting the summit in Baku would serve as a signal in support of lasting peace and post-conflict normalization in the region.
Thus, the upcoming forum in Azerbaijan has taken on an additional political dimension. It will provide an opportunity for European leaders to discuss relations with the South Caucasus from within the region itself, a region that plays an increasingly prominent role in trade, energy, and transport links between Europe and Asia.
The outcomes of the Dublin summit demonstrated that Azerbaijan's significance in its relations with European states has been shaped at the intersection of three core areas: energy security, transport connectivity, and the peace process in the South Caucasus.
Crucially, these areas don't exist in isolation. Advancing a peace agenda between Baku and Yerevan creates further conditions for opening regional communication channels; the development of the Middle Corridor expands trade opportunities between Europe and Asia; and the energy partnership strengthens Azerbaijan's ties with European markets.
The meetings held by President Ilham Aliyev, the agreements reached with the UK, and the discussions regarding concrete steps toward Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization have given Baku's participation in the summit a practical substance.
Looking ahead, Azerbaijan is set to host the EPC in 2028. This offers the country an opportunity not only to welcome European leaders but also to serve as a platform for further discussions on the future of the South Caucasus, its transport potential, and its role within the framework of Euro-Asian economic and energy ties.
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