Azerbaijan and Syria took steps to restore bilateral relations on July 13th. According to Cradle, in consultations between Syrian and Israeli officials in Azeri’s capital, they pledged to strengthen cooperation, particularly in the energy sector.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev welcomed Syrian interim leader Ahmad Al-Sharah to Baku at the meeting marking the first official engagement between the two governments since the expulsion of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Former ISIS commander, Sharaa, who overthrew Assad’s government, thanked Aliyev for “brother support” in Azerbaijan, saying that the previous Syrian regime had undermined Damascus’s relationship with several countries, including Azerbaijan.
“The Syrian President’s visit to Azerbaijan will greatly contribute to the development of bilateral relations,” Aliyev said.
At the heart of the talks was a common commitment to dealing with Syria’s ongoing energy crisis. The Azerbaijan government has announced plans to begin exporting natural gas to Syria via Torkie in the near future.
“This project will help ensure Syria’s energy security,” the president of Azerbaijan said in a statement, saying the two countries will explore Azerbaijan’s involvement in restructuring Syria’s devastating energy infrastructure.