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Farid Shafiyev: Vigilance needed against forces in EU that could hinder peace process

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Center for the Analysis of International Relations and Multiculturalism, Farid Shafiyev

04 September 2026 11:55 (UTC +04:00)

We expect the adoption of a new document that will elevate relations between Azerbaijan and the European Union to a new level, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Center for the Analysis of International Relations and Multiculturalism, Farid Shafiyev, said during a roundtable discussion in Baku titled “European-Azerbaijani relations: assessment of historical experience and future directions of cooperation,” APA reports.

According to him, there have been certain ups and downs in EU-Azerbaijan relations, and these difficulties were not limited to 2023: “However, I think we have now moved beyond this stage. Visits by EU officials and the Azerbaijani President’s visits to various European Union countries, including his recent visit to Germany, show that relations are developing. Usually, when discussing EU-Azerbaijan relations, many experts put the energy issue at the forefront. However, I believe we have moved beyond energy. Energy remains important, but we are now increasingly discussing transport and other important issues as well. The geopolitical landscape of the South Caucasus has changed significantly. First and foremost, this concerns the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. There is no longer a conflict; we are talking about peace.”

Farid Shafiyev emphasized the importance of remaining vigilant against forces both outside and within the EU that could hinder the peace process: “Sometimes we see extensive lobbying and public advocacy networks operating. One of them is war criminal Ruben Vardanyan. It was quite strange that his name appeared on the list of nominees for a Council of Europe award. This is because the same organization has accused Ruben Vardanyan of money laundering and supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine. However, as a result of our intervention, including that of the Center of Analysis of International Relations, his name was removed from the list.”