BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 17. The global system
of international relations is undergoing a period of profound
transformation, marked by growing uncertainty and intensifying
competition. In these conditions, the importance of states capable
of combining flexible diplomacy with stable domestic policy is
increasing. Azerbaijan, under the leadership of President Ilham
Aliyev, confidently occupies such a position, becoming a reliable
center of stability in a region where predictability has become a
true value.
In this context, the upcoming Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF),
which will take place on April 17–19, 2026, under the auspices of
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is becoming a key platform for
aligning geopolitical clocks. The theme of this year’s forum –
“Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties” – perfectly reflects the
current moment. In an era when multilateral declarations are giving
way to pragmatism, Azerbaijan demonstrates mastery of “soft power”
and preventive diplomacy.
Azerbaijan positions itself as the “backbone” of new logistics
and energy connections between East and West. Today, the strategic
importance of Baku in ensuring the resilience of Europe and Asia is
undeniable.
The development of the Middle Corridor has turned Azerbaijan
into an indispensable transit hub. With the largest fleet in the
Caspian Sea, the Port of Alat, and the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway,
the country offers the world a safe alternative amid global
turbulence.
The energy dimension is no less important. After 2022, when
Europe urgently needed to diversify its energy sources, Azerbaijan
significantly increased supplies. Since 2021, gas exports to the EU
have grown by 56%. By the end of 2025, total export volume reached
25.2 billion cubic meters, with more than half going to the
European market. Today, Azerbaijani gas is supplied to 16 countries
worldwide.
Together with partners from Central Asia and leading global
companies (Masdar, bp, ACWA Power), Baku is shaping the
architecture of renewable energy, planning to export more than 8 GW
of green capacity by 2030.
A special place on the forum’s agenda is occupied by the
alliance between Azerbaijan and Türkiye. The formula “one nation,
two states” has transformed into a powerful geopolitical tandem
that acts as a guarantor of security in the South Caucasus. The
synchronization of actions by the leaders of the two countries on
projects such as the Zangezur Corridor sends a clear signal to the
international community: the region’s economic prosperity is
impossible without taking into account the interests of this
strategic axis.
The participation of President Ilham Aliyev in the Antalya Forum
confirms that Baku’s diplomatic initiatives are backed by strong
political will and vast resources. The Antalya platform is becoming
a tribune from which Azerbaijan reminds the world that a strategy
of stability and reliable partnership is already working in
practice.
