Germany is set to import more gas from the Caucasus country of Azerbaijan in the future. "Ever since we stopped gas deliveries from Russia four and a half years ago, we have naturally been looking for new sources of supply, and Azerbaijan plays an important role here," said Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) at a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday in Berlin.
Azerbaijan is one of the few countries in the region that produces more energy than it consumes itself, Merz said. "In that respect, Azerbaijan is an interesting partner country for us when it comes to securing Germany's energy supply." This applies in particular to southern Germany, because the infrastructure there has already been expanded or could be expanded.
In principle, energy imports from Azerbaijan are to be diversified and are also to include hydrogen, the Chancellor emphasized. Germany and Azerbaijan reaffirmed their wish for a deepened partnership in a declaration signed on Tuesday.
Merz congratulated Aliyev on the peace treaty that Azerbaijan and Armenia concluded in 2025 in the presence of US President Donald Trump. "This historic treaty opens up the chance to overcome a decades-long conflict," the Chancellor said. Greater stability in the region also enables enhanced economic cooperation. Aliyev was received by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in the morning. Steinmeier had been the first German head of state to visit the Caucasus country, in 2005.
Aliyev confirmed media reports that German politicians had recently met with Russian representatives in Baku. These were former Brandenburg Minister-President Matthias Platzeck (SPD) and former Chancellery Chief of Staff Ronald Pofalla (CDU). On the Russian side, former Russian Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov took part. According to media reports, the so-called "Baku Connection" has been meeting regularly since 2024.
Azerbaijan derives a large share of its state revenue from the sale of oil and gas, including to the EU. The country has been in dispute with neighboring Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region since the collapse of the Soviet Union. In September 2023, Baku brought the territory, inhabited mostly by Armenians but internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, fully under its control in a military offensive.
In 2025, the two countries agreed to end armed confrontations, but their relationship remains tense. Azerbaijan has also faced criticism over its treatment of opposition figures and critical journalists.
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