AZE.US
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has invited Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to pay an official visit to the Czech Republic, signaling Prague’s interest in deepening ties with Baku beyond the existing oil trade.
Babis said after talks in Gabala that he intends to continue developing relations between the two countries and would be pleased to welcome Aliyev and his wife to the Czech Republic. He noted that during the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, he had promised Aliyev that his first visit outside the European Union would be to Azerbaijan.
The visit was not only symbolic. It came with a clear economic and energy agenda.
Babis said the talks were friendly and, more importantly, concrete. He said both sides had discussed interest in a long-term gas supply contract. Representatives of CEZ, the Czech Republic’s largest energy company, were also involved in the process.
Energy already dominates the relationship. Aliyev said Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic have built reliable cooperation over many years, with Azerbaijani oil playing an important role in the Czech energy balance. He noted that bilateral trade turnover exceeds $800 million, but that its structure is still largely based on Azerbaijani oil exports. Baku, he said, wants trade to become more balanced and diversified.
Babis said Azerbaijan is the Czech Republic’s largest supplier of crude oil, accounting for 42 percent of its oil imports. He added that Prague now wants to move toward a broader energy partnership that could include natural gas.
The two sides also discussed defense industry cooperation. Aliyev said Azerbaijan already purchases Czech military products and that the two countries are now working on specific projects involving joint production. Babis said Czech defense companies are already significant suppliers to Azerbaijan.
A Czech business delegation of 50 companies accompanied Babis to Azerbaijan. At the Azerbaijan-Czech business forum in Gabala, the sides discussed projects in energy, transport, defense, mechanical engineering, geology, water management, finance and technology. Czech companies including Skoda Transportation were presented as potential partners for transport and infrastructure projects, including possible cooperation with the Baku Metro.
Aliyev also proposed upgrading the joint intergovernmental economic commission, with a stronger focus on energy, industry and other key sectors. The commission is expected to be co-chaired by Czech Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlicek and Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov.
In a post on X, Aliyev thanked Babis for his official visit and the talks in Gabala. He said it was a special honor that Azerbaijan was the Czech prime minister’s first official destination outside the European Union, and confirmed that he had accepted the invitation to visit the Czech Republic.
The Gabala meeting showed that Prague increasingly views Baku not only as an oil supplier, but as a possible long-term partner in gas, defense production, transport and industrial cooperation. For Azerbaijan, the talks added another signal that its role in Europe’s energy and industrial planning continues to expand.
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