Wooing Azerbaijan

The German EU Presidency is drawing to a close on 31 December. So a few unfinished dossiers are quickly shoved down the ramp. Particularly piquant: the European courtship of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan is the country in the Caucasus that, with Turkish help and Syrian mercenaries, has waged a blitzkrieg against North Karabakh and the Armenians living there.

The EU has been silent on this war in Europe’s front yard; even requests for help from Armenia have not been answered. The German EU Presidency acted as if none of this concerned it.

And now this: the EU is planning a new, comprehensive partnership agreement with the aggressor! This is what Foreign Affairs Commissioner Borrell and Enlargement Commissioner Várhelyi announced in Brussels on 18 December.

At a ministerial meeting, the war played only a minor role; criticism of Azerbaijan’s aggressive behaviour was not heard. The EU representatives courted the “energy partner” all the more. Quote:

“The EU is a key partner of Azerbaijan in energy, trade, investment and connectivity. Building on the important progress made this year in finalising the Southern Gas Corridor, we are keen on exploring its possible extension to the Western Balkans.”

EU Commissioner Várhelyi

It’s about the gas that is to be piped to the Balkans via Turkey. Now we understand better why the EU kept so quiet in the war over Nagorno-Karabakh, don’t we?

By the way, Várhelyi is Hungarian, and Hungary has good relations with Turkey – and of course with Germany…

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) The original post (in German) is here