Azerbaijan is represented at a high level each year within the framework of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF). This participation holds particular significance in presenting the country’s successful and balanced regional diplomacy to the international community. Discussions, meetings, and bilateral negotiations held during the forum provide broad opportunities to showcase Azerbaijan’s foreign policy priorities and regional initiatives.
Within the forum, some of the most pressing global challenges of the modern era are widely discussed. These include energy security, the resilience of global supply chains, the development of the digital economy, and the transition to green energy. In recent years, geopolitical shifts and instability in energy markets have further increased the importance of these issues. In this context, strengthening cooperation among states, developing alternative energy sources, and forming sustainable economic models remain key areas of focus at the forum.
Azerbaijan, in this regard, plays an important role as a key partner in ensuring Europe’s energy security. The country’s rich energy resources, developed infrastructure, and strategic geographical location position it as a reliable energy supplier. International energy projects initiated by Azerbaijan and its active participation in establishing alternative energy routes have significantly enhanced its role on the global energy map. The forum thus serves as an important platform for promoting new energy projects, building international partnerships, and attracting foreign investment.
Azerbaijan’s role in Europe’s energy security and its logistical capabilities have repeatedly been among the central topics of discussion at the forum. This reflects the growing international influence of Baku and increasing global interest in the country. High-level meetings held by the country’s leadership within the forum and the agreements reached further demonstrate Azerbaijan’s active engagement in global cooperation.
Overall, the forum brings together heads of state and government, ministers, diplomats, academics, and business leaders from around the world, creating a unique platform for discussing global challenges and exploring solutions. This broad and multilateral dialogue environment keeps the forum at the center of international attention and allows it to have a tangible impact on the global political agenda.
At the same time, issues such as the peace process with Armenia, ensuring regional stability, and Azerbaijan’s growing regional role are also highlighted to the international community within the forum. In this sense, ADF serves as an effective political platform for presenting Azerbaijan’s position directly and objectively.
Concrete economic steps indicate that the peace agreement process is already beginning to materialize in practice. Azerbaijan has opened transit routes for Armenia’s commercial cargo, enabling goods from Kazakhstan and Russia to pass through Azerbaijani territory into Armenia. The parties have also initiated trade, including the export of Azerbaijani petroleum products to Armenia. Importantly, this is not a restoration of previous economic ties—since gaining independence, Azerbaijan and Armenia have never engaged in direct bilateral trade. What is unfolding now is the creation of an entirely new system of economic relations from scratch.
Normalization efforts extend beyond interstate diplomacy. Continuous meetings between civil society representatives of both countries are being held, fostering dialogue and helping embed political agreements within society. These steps contribute to normalization and sustainable peace in the region. The Zangezur Corridor remains a strategic element of regional transformation. In this context, normalization between Türkiye and Armenia is also ongoing. The Zangezur Corridor represents a broader vision of unity within the Turkic world, in which Türkiye is closely involved.
All these issues have been central to the Azerbaijani delegation’s speeches, discussions, and statements to international media at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. Overall, Azerbaijan’s participation in such international political forums plays a vital role in conveying the emerging realities of peace in the region to the global community and in advancing regional connectivity.
Member of the Parliament of Azerbaijan and Member of the Foreign and Inter-Parliamentary Relations Committee.
