Baku: A meeting point for adversaries Azerbaijan’s capital becomes a hub for historic talks

A report by Al Arabiya and AFP, citing a diplomatic source in Damascus, about talks held in Baku between official representatives of Syria and Israel has sparked considerable interest among analysts and journalists from around the world. The talks reportedly took place during the visit to Azerbaijan by Syria’s transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The very fact of such negotiations is, without exaggeration, sensational. As is well known, Syria and Israel have been in a state of conflict, on and off, since their inception, and any direct contact between their officials is an extremely rare occurrence. However, in this case, what matters is not only the talks themselves (the content of which may never be disclosed), but also the venue — the city of Baku, which is where we shall focus our attention.

The capital of Azerbaijan has repeatedly served as a platform for negotiations between countries with diametrically opposed positions — for “unofficial” meetings that carry enormous geopolitical significance. Recently, for instance, Baku hosted talks between Türkiye and Israel, two countries with a complicated history of bilateral relations. These contacts marked an important step toward the restoration of mutual understanding, which in turn contributed to the stabilisation of the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean.

In April 2018, Baku was chosen as the venue for a landmark meeting between the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Army General Valery Gerasimov, and the Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO, General Curtis Scaparrotti. During the talks, the two sides discussed NATO and Russian military activities in the European region, confidence-building measures, and the prevention of incidents.

As we can see, the recent meeting between Syrian and Israeli representatives in the Azerbaijani capital is not an exception but rather a logical continuation of Baku’s growing role as a platform for dialogue. Azerbaijan’s unique location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia has long since ceased to be merely a geographical fact — it has become a strategic asset, and not only in political terms.

As noted by Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Elnur Mamedov during his speech at the international forum held on July 11–12 in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in the context of strengthening political and economic ties between Europe and Asia, the growing role of Azerbaijan as a sustainable transport and logistics corridor and a reliable partner between the two continents is acquiring strategic importance. There are many examples of the country’s role in this regard. In particular, the Southern Gas Corridor, which connects the Caspian region to Europe, ensures Europe’s energy diversification, while the Middle Corridor passing through Azerbaijan is becoming a key route—an especially relevant development amid the geopolitical turbulence of recent years.

Moreover, Azerbaijan’s active participation in the Organisation of Turkic States, its engagement with the EU, Türkiye, China, and Arab countries, as well as its constructive relations with Israel and Iran, make Azerbaijan a unique participant in the Eurasian dialogue. At the same time, Azerbaijan does not make loud proclamations nor does it seek the role of a global player with an aggressive agenda. The country steadily strengthens its influence by demonstrating the ability for constructive mediation and maintaining balance in the most complex configurations of international relations.

Thus, the choice of Baku as the venue for the Syrian-Israeli talks is yet another confirmation of the high level of trust placed in Azerbaijan on the international stage. In an era of increasing global instability and conflict, Baku is becoming a space of opportunity where East and West, North and South can engage in dialogue. It is precisely in political prudence and economic stability that Azerbaijan’s true strength lies — its role in global politics is not just significant, but vital, and in the coming years it will only continue to grow and strengthen.