President’s Representative on Special Assignments of Azerbaijan Elchin Amirbayov said Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic have been bound by a strategic partnership agreement since 2015, highlighting significant untapped potential in bilateral cooperation, Report informs via CNN Prima News.
Speaking to the Czech broadcaster during a visit to Prague, Amirbayov said existing cooperation focuses mainly on energy, while sectors such as industry, agriculture and tourism still offer major opportunities.
He said recent high-level contacts, including a meeting between Azerbaijan’s president and the Czech prime minister at the World Economic Forum in Davos, could lead to more active engagement in the coming months.
Amirbayov described the Czech Republic as a valuable partner due to its industrial base, technological expertise and membership of the European Union and NATO, adding that Azerbaijan could serve as a gateway to the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
He said Azerbaijan already plays a key role in European energy security, noting that the Czech Republic receives about one-third of its oil from Azerbaijan, and that Azerbaijan supplies natural gas to 16 states, including 10 EU members.
Amirbayov added that expanding gas exports would require additional investment in production and infrastructure, saying the Southern Gas Corridor is already fully booked and needs capacity expansion in cooperation with the EU.
He also said Azerbaijan was ready to remain a reliable energy partner amid regional instability and market volatility, while stressing the importance of a multi-vector foreign policy based on national interests.
Commenting on regional developments, Amirbayov said Azerbaijan seeks pragmatic and predictable relations with Russia based on mutual respect, and highlighted improving ties with the United States following Donald Trump’s return to office.
He said recent US-mediated contacts helped advance Azerbaijan–Armenia peace efforts, including progress on a draft peace agreement and discussions on reopening regional transport links between mainland Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave.
Amirbayov added that 2026 could be decisive for the South Caucasus, expressing hope that political developments in Armenia would pave the way for the signing of a final peace agreement.