Azerbaijan assumes more strategic role in EU energy security Article by Geopolitical Monitor

The Canadian outlet Geopolitical Monitor has published an article by Holden Johansen examining how disruptions to global energy trade caused by the war in Iran are highlighting both the strengths and limitations of Europe’s long-running strategy of diversifying its energy partnerships, with Azerbaijan occupying a key position in this strategy. Caliber.Az highlights the most telling parts of the article.

"Azerbaijan has become a key consideration in Europe’s long-term approach to energy diversification. Central to that role is the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, or TAP, which was built as part of the broader Southern Gas Corridor initiative, an effort to improve the security and diversification of Europe’s natural gas supply.

TAP offers an alternative supply route that bypasses many of the geopolitical complications associated with Russian gas. By September 2025, TAP had delivered its 50th bcm of natural gas to Europe, with plans to double annual capacity by 2027. Achieving that target would further strengthen Azerbaijan’s role within Europe’s broader diversification strategy, reducing the continent’s reliance on more politically volatile sources.

Azerbaijan’s relationship with Europe has developed over decades, formally commencing in 1999 with the EU-Azerbaijan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, a framework for political and economic collaboration. Energy gradually became a central pillar of that relationship, particularly after the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Strategic Energy Partnership in 2006, laying the groundwork for projects like the Southern Gas Corridor.

The development of infrastructure linking Caspian energy resources to European markets further strengthened those ties, transforming Azerbaijan into an increasingly important supplier as Europe sought to diversify its energy sources. Today, the EU is Azerbaijan’s largest trading partner and primary export market.

As the Hormuz crisis unfolded, senior European and Azerbaijani officials, including the European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, the President of the European Council, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Energy, and President Ilham Aliyev, held a series of high-level meetings in which they emphasized the strategic importance of their energy partnership and committed to deeper cooperation on energy security and the Southern Gas Corridor. 

Europe’s confidence in Baku was similarly reflected in broader regional energy markets. During Baku Energy Week, a consortium of international energy companies signed a 15-year purchase agreement for gas from Azerbaijan’s Absheron field in the Caspian Sea, signalling confidence in the country’s role as a regional supplier.

Europe’s engagement with Azerbaijan during the Iran crisis suggests that leaders view diversification not as a completed project, but as an ongoing process requiring continued investment in the relationships that make it possible. This appears to be the start of a trend: as the world becomes increasingly complex, Europe’s long-term energy security will depend less on any single supplier than on its ability to build and sustain a diverse network of reliable partnerships," the article reads.

By Aghakazim Guliyev