Western sanctions on Russia have opened a new opportunity in Europe for energy-rich Azerbaijan, and the route runs through the Balkans.
From statues of late Azeri leader Heydar Aliyev, to infrastructure projects and gas deals, Azerbaijan has sought for years to project its influence in central and southeastern Europe, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the West’s vow to rid itself of Russian oil and gas have seen Baku make new inroads.
In August, President Ilham Aliyev, son of Heydar, met his Serbian and Turkish counterparts, Aleksandar Vucic and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, as the guests of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, inking a new energy deal that could see Azerbaijan pump up to one billion cubic metres of gas to Hungary via Turkey and the Balkans, starting later this year.