Relations between the European Union and Azerbaijan are entering a new phase, with recent high-level talks in Baku signaling a shift toward a more strategic and balanced partnership, according to an analysis by the Jamestown Foundation.

The U.S.-based think tank said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's visit to Baku underscored the EU's growing recognition of Azerbaijan as a reliable and indispensable partner in strengthening Europe's energy security, expanding the Trans-Caspian route, and developing the Middle Corridor, The Caspian Post reports via Jamestown.

According to the analysis, von der Leyen arrived in Baku with concrete financial commitments and political messages highlighting Azerbaijan's key role in diversifying natural gas supplies to Europe and improving regional connectivity.

The report noted that negotiations held in Baku on July 2-3 resulted in preliminary agreement on the 2026-2030 partnership priorities, covering political dialogue, transport connectivity, energy cooperation, trade, digital transformation, and continued work on a new Comprehensive Agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan.

Jamestown's authors argue that, together with the EU's Global Gateway initiative, the outcomes of the visit point to the emergence of a new model of EU-Azerbaijan relations, with both sides gradually moving beyond years of mutual mistrust.

However, the think tank emphasized that the future of the partnership will depend on practical actions, noting that Baku expects the European side to follow up its commitments with tangible steps.

The Jamestown Foundation concluded that if concrete measures were taken in the coming months, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's visit to Baku could be remembered not merely as another diplomatic declaration, but as the beginning of a more durable and balanced partnership between the European Union and Azerbaijan.