President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev gave an exclusive interview to Euronews during the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos on 20 January, reflecting on Azerbaijan’s strategy in a changing global order and the country’s evolving role in the South Caucasus and global energy markets.
President Aliyev emphasised that in today’s world, countries must base their policies on national potential while cultivating strong regional and international ties. He described Azerbaijan’s approach as pragmatic, focused on securing results that respect international law while advancing national interests.
Touching on the historic peace process with Armenia, the Azerbaijani president highlighted early progress in efforts to build cooperation.
“We have lived in peace only for five or six months; we are learning to do it… Today, the relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan is already evolving into cooperation,” he said.
President Ilham Aliyev outlined concrete steps to strengthen regional economic ties, noting that Azerbaijan has lifted cargo restrictions and begun supplying critical commodities, including oil products, to Armenia, turning decades of conflict into opportunities for collaboration.
Regional stability was a recurring theme throughout the discussion.
“Every country, including Azerbaijan, should think about stability around and beyond its borders… Stability, predictability, and peace in the region are the biggest assets,” the Azerbaijani President noted.
He also emphasised Azerbaijan’s growing energy significance, noting that the country now supplies natural gas to 16 countries, including 10 European Union member states, ensuring stable and predictable energy flows for European consumers.
“By this coverage, Azerbaijan is number one in the world.”
Addressing criticism from the European Parliament, President Aliyev said Azerbaijan is prioritising practical cooperation with the European Commission rather than engaging in political confrontation.
“We do not react any longer… We cooperate with the European Commission, and for us, it is enough,” he noted.
Following the interview, President of Azerbaijan took part in the “Azerbaijan Executive Breakfast,” meeting with international business leaders to discuss trade, investment and regional economic opportunities.
President Ilham Aliyev also participated in the panel titled “Defining Eurasia's Economic Identity” on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum 2026, on Tuesday, along with Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan, Limak Holding Chairperson Ebru Özdemir, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
The dialogue explored the shifting balance of influence and power in the Caucasus and Central Asia amid competing interests from East and West, focusing on emerging trade corridors, ambitious infrastructure projects, and heightened competition over resources.
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Shahid Motahari Sub-Speciality Hospital in northern Tehran and parts of t...
Kazakhstan has vowed to speed up its investigation into the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) crash near Aktau, as mounting diplomatic pressure and geopolitical tensions push the disaster further into the international spotlight.
Shahid Motahari Sub-Speciality Hospital in northern Tehran and parts of the Golestan Palace were bombed on day two of the U.S.‑Israel strikes. AnewZ Touraj Shiralilou is in Iran's capital city and said that the facility was flattened in an airstrike.
France plans to send anti-missile and anti-drone systems to southern Cyprus after a British air base on the island was attacked by drones, the semi-official Cyprus News Agency (CNA) said on Tuesday.
At least 42 people have been killed and 104 wounded in fighting between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Tuesday. The latest death toll figures come as fighting between the two neighbours enters its sixth day.
Follow the latest developments and global reaction after the U.S. and Israel launched “major combat operations” in Iran, prompting retaliation from Tehran.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has moved into a pivotal constitutional role following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, becoming the clerical member of Iran’s temporary leadership council under Article 111 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The Israeli military has begun a new wave of strikes on Tehran, it said late on Monday. The strikes came after it issued an evacuation warning for residents in Tehran, particularly those residing near state broadcaster IRIB's headquarters.
Kazakhstan has vowed to speed up its investigation into the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) crash near Aktau, as mounting diplomatic pressure and geopolitical tensions push the disaster further into the international spotlight.
Entrances to Iran's underground and previously bombed uranium-enrichment plant at Natanz have been struck as part of the U.S.-Israeli military attacks on the country, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEZ) confirmed on Tuesday (3 March).
The Israeli military deployed additional forces to southern Lebanon overnight, to take up what a military spokesperson on Tuesday (3 March) described as "defensive positions" aimed at protecting Israeli civilians and strategic sites from potential Hezbollah attacks.
Shahid Motahari Sub-Speciality Hospital in northern Tehran and parts of the Golestan Palace were bombed on day two of the U.S.‑Israel strikes. AnewZ Touraj Shiralilou is in Iran's capital city and said that the facility was flattened in an airstrike.
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