EU, Azerbaijan Sign Strategic Energy Deal Amidst Rights Concerns
The EU and Azerbaijan have signed a strategic energy deal, aiming to boost gas supplies to Europe. The agreement, signed on July 18 in Baku, comes amidst concerns about Azerbaijan's human rights record and the EU's energy dependence on Russia.
The deal, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), promises to increase Azerbaijan's gas delivery capacity to the EU from 8 to 20 billion cubic meters per year by 2027. This includes an additional four billion cubic meters this year. President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan hailed the deal as a 'roadmap for the future', highlighting the long-lasting and reliable cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan in energy.
However, the agreement has faced criticism. Several members of the European Parliament warned against 'cozying up to dictatorships', echoing past 'whitewashing' mistakes. Human rights groups have raised concerns about the deal, citing Azerbaijan's poor human rights record and the EU signing deals without conditioning them on political detainee releases and media freedom improvements. The EU-Azerbaijan Partnership Priorities commitments have not been met, with restrictions on freedom of assembly, association, and expression persisting. Despite the EU's support for the normalization process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, there are no specific public updates regarding Azerbaijan’s progress on constitutional rights and democracy improvement.
Critics argue that the memorandum is more of a wish list than firm commitments, questioning Azerbaijan's ability to provide the extra gas needed. A recent EU report from August 8, 2025, does not provide specific updates on Azerbaijan’s progress in these areas.
The EU-Azerbaijan strategic energy deal aims to reduce Europe's energy dependence on Russia, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and threats to cut supplies. While the deal promises increased gas supplies, it has been met with criticism due to Azerbaijan's human rights record and questions about its ability to fulfill the agreed-upon gas volumes. The EU and Azerbaijan will need to address these concerns as they move forward with the deal.
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