France, July 22 -- Aliyev's visit to Berlin produced a Joint Declaration on the Strategic Agenda for Bilateral Partners and established an Azerbaijan-Germany Business Council.

"I am confident that the documents signed today will elevate our relations to a new level," Aliyev told a joint press conference on Tuesday, saying a strategic dialogue had been launched and that Germany, "as the leading country of the European Union", was increasing its influence in the South Caucasus.

Berlin's interest is largely economic. Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan began supplying gas to Germany this year, as the EU is moving away from Russian energy imports, while Merz described the South Caucasus as "a key connectivity hub linking Europe and Asia" - a nod t...