AZE.US
Europe’s growing interest in Azerbaijan is no longer just about diplomacy. It is about energy, transit and access to strategic resources from Central Asia, Rizvan Huseynov, director of the Center for the History of the Caucasus and author of Azerbaijan and the Armenian Question in the Caucasus, said in an interview with the YouTube channel Contemporary Conversation with Rasim Babayev.
According to Huseynov, recent visits by European officials to Baku reflect a new reality in which Azerbaijan has become one of the key routes for Europe’s energy and transport security.
He said France and Germany are increasingly focused on securing access to energy resources, uranium, rare earth metals and transit routes from Kazakhstan and other Central Asian states.
“How can this transit be secured? Only through the territory of Azerbaijan. There are no other options,” Huseynov said.
He argued that the northern route is limited by sanctions against Russia, while the southern route runs through sanctions-hit Iran. That leaves the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye and Black Sea ports as the most realistic corridor linking Central Asia with Europe.
Huseynov said this is why Brussels, Paris and Berlin are paying closer attention to Baku. In his view, European governments that need access to regional transport and energy projects will have to adjust their tone toward Azerbaijan.
He also criticized what he described as pressure on Baku through European institutions, including the European Parliament. According to Huseynov, such pressure could backfire if France and Germany want to benefit from the resources and routes they now urgently need.
“If this pressure does not stop, neither France nor Germany will be able to participate in and receive the resources they are counting on,” he said.
The expert added that Azerbaijan’s importance is rising because major routes between Central Asia and Europe cannot function effectively without its participation.
In his view, Baku now holds stronger leverage in talks with Europe, especially as transit, energy security and access to strategic minerals become central issues for the continent.
AZE.US