Pellegrini: Slovakia sees Azerbaijan as a partner, not a customer

Slovak President Peter Pellegrini says cooperation with Azerbaijan is moving beyond formal diplomacy, with new opportunities emerging in energy, defence, cybersecurity, trade and education.

Slovakia does not view Azerbaijan merely as a market for its products, but as a partner with which it can develop projects and enter new markets, President Peter Pellegrini said in an interview with Russian journalist and former First Deputy Director-General of TASS Mikhail Gusman in Shusha. Gusman served as TASS’s first deputy chief until July 2025.

Pellegrini described his visit to Azerbaijan as another important step in what he called a strategic partnership between the two countries.

“This is not a formal visit,” he said, pointing to the open relationship between himself and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

According to Pellegrini, the two leaders can discuss issues directly and without unresolved bilateral disputes standing between them.

The Slovak delegation included government ministers, the governor of the country’s national bank and business representatives, with talks focused on turning political ties into concrete projects.

Partnership, not simply trade

Pellegrini said Slovakia was not approaching Azerbaijan simply as a wealthy country to which it could sell products.

“We are not trying to see Azerbaijan as a customer, like many others do,” he said. “We prefer, in Slovakia, to deal with each other as partners.”

One of the areas discussed was defence cooperation.

Pellegrini said Slovak and Azerbaijani companies could jointly develop and manufacture new military equipment. The products could then reach additional international markets through Azerbaijan, allowing both sides to benefit from the partnership.

He also highlighted the involvement of Slovak companies in a smart-village project and the construction of a sports hall at a new school named after Slovak national figure Milan Rastislav Štefánik.

For Pellegrini, such projects show that bilateral cooperation is no longer confined to official statements.

“It is very concrete,” he said.

Azerbaijan’s role in Europe’s energy security

Energy was one of the central themes of the interview.

Pellegrini said Azerbaijan had offered Slovakia access to gas supplies when disruptions through Ukraine placed pressure on Central European energy markets.

He said Slovakia had already received Azerbaijani gas through regional transit routes, but was now seeking a more stable, long-term arrangement.

The main obstacle, he argued, was not Azerbaijan’s ability to supply gas, but bottlenecks along the transit route through other countries.

Pellegrini said additional financing would be needed to increase infrastructure capacity and allow more gas from Azerbaijan and the wider region to reach Central Europe.

As the European Union seeks to reduce its dependence on Russian gas, Azerbaijan could gain greater strategic weight.

“We have to diversify, and Azerbaijan we see as one of the key players in this issue,” Pellegrini said.

The equation is clear. Europe wants new sources. Azerbaijan has supply potential. But pipelines, investment and political coordination will decide whether that potential can become a lasting energy corridor.

Digital progress — and its hidden risks

Pellegrini also called for closer cooperation in digital government.

He said Slovakia had concentrated on allowing citizens to access public services from home, while Azerbaijan had developed centres where people could receive several government services in one location.

The two models are different. But each country, he argued, could learn from the other.

Yet digitalisation creates a second challenge.

As public services and personal information move from the physical world into the digital space, governments must protect citizens’ data and critical infrastructure.

“Digitalisation is very good. It is saving time. It is saving money. But it must stay very secure,” Pellegrini said.

He identified cybersecurity as an area in which Azerbaijan and Slovakia should deepen cooperation, warning that the number of cyber threats was increasing every day.

Slovakia between Baku and Brussels

Asked how Slovakia could contribute to stronger relations between Azerbaijan and the European Union, Pellegrini said Bratislava wanted to be a reliable partner — both as an individual state and as an EU member.

He said Slovakia believed diplomacy should look in all directions rather than focus exclusively on the West.

Pellegrini also argued that European countries should approach Azerbaijan with respect, not arrive with the intention of lecturing it.

“We will encourage other members not to come here and comment on Azerbaijan or try to teach you something,” he said.

He suggested Slovakia could act as an “advocate” for Azerbaijan among European countries by explaining Baku’s position and its strategic importance for regional stability and peace.

“Where some support is needed, or some decision of the EU should be taken and it is somehow connected to Azerbaijan, of course you can count on us,” Pellegrini said.

He added that recent engagement between senior EU officials and Azerbaijan showed that Brussels increasingly understood the importance of treating Baku as a partner.

“This is the future of our relationship, and Slovakia will be very helpful in this process,” he said.

Direct flights and deeper connections

Pellegrini said a direct Wizz Air service between Baku and Bratislava was expected to begin in October, making travel easier in both directions.

He praised Azerbaijan’s hospitality, cuisine and landscape, while pointing to Slovakia’s mountains, historic castles and medical spas as attractions for Azerbaijani visitors.

But tourism is only one bridge.

Pellegrini also called for more Azerbaijani students to study in Bratislava and more Slovak students to attend universities in Azerbaijan.

Educational exchange, he said, creates personal relationships that can outlast political cycles.

“When you meet people and they say, ‘I studied in your country,’ immediately there is a connection,” he said.

Shusha, Baku and a changing Azerbaijan

The visit marked Pellegrini’s first trip to Shusha.

He said President Aliyev had proposed holding the official meeting there rather than in Baku, an invitation he had accepted immediately.

Pellegrini said the Slovak delegation had been impressed by the scale of infrastructure investment and reconstruction taking place in the city.

He also reflected on his previous visits to Baku, praising the capital’s ability to preserve its history while continuing to modernise.

“You still keep the old city in good shape, but the 21st century is on the streets,” he said.

Pellegrini described the Formula 1 race through central Baku as one of the clearest examples of that meeting between the historic and the modern.

In a more personal part of the conversation, the Slovak president spoke about ice hockey, driving and aviation.

A licensed pilot, Pellegrini said flying allowed him to disconnect from political pressures because operating an aircraft required his complete attention.

He also recalled President Aliyev personally driving him during the visit, saying the experience had encouraged him to consider returning to driving more often himself.

Concluding the interview, Pellegrini congratulated the Azerbaijani people on the country’s achievements over recent decades.

He wished them health and success and encouraged them to remain proud of their country and its history.

“We really appreciate the friendship between our two nations,” the Slovak president said.

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