Energy, Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights: Kallas Signals Big Change in Baku Visit

The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kallas went to the South Caucasus on an important trip. On May 5 Kallas met with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov. The main goal of this visit was to make sure Azerbaijan is a reliable partner for energy. They also talked about working on technology keeping the region safe and human rights.

During these high-level talks they did not just focus on oil and gas. They also talked about areas like digital transformation, Artificial Intelligence and renewable energy. President Aliyev said it is very important to build transportation routes and trade paths. This is something the European Union's also very interested in as they want to improve connections between the South Caucasus and Central Asia. One of the points of the discussions was the possibility of having a more structured partnership, which would help restart dialogue and finalize the "Partnership Priorities" document. This is an agreement that Azerbaijan and the European Union have been negotiating since 2017.

Security and peace were also topics. Kallas said the current peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia are a "opportunity". She also said the European Union is committed to supporting this process. The European Union is already helping by building trust and removing landmines. In fact the European Union is Azerbaijan’s international donor for these efforts.

Kallas also made it clear that human rights are very important. In all her speeches she said that talking openly and honestly about human rights is a key part of the relationship between the European Union and Azerbaijan. This is a time as many people are worried about the freedom of the media and the detention of political figures in Azerbaijan. Even though the government in Baku says all basic freedoms are protected Kallas reminded them that the European Parliament is still pushing for a stance on these issues.

As Azerbaijan becomes more important for Europe’s energy security and a gateway to the East this visit shows that the European Union has a two-part plan. They want to work closely with Azerbaijan on economy and technology but they also want to make sure human rights are a top priority. Kallas and the European Union are signaling that Energy, Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights are all connected and important for their relationship with Azerbaijan.