#SecureBlackSea project team has successfully concluded its fieldwork in Azerbaijan, engaging with senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives of the Azerbaijani Embassy, security analysts, academics, researchers, and regional policy experts in Baku. These in-depth interviews provided essential insights into Azerbaijan’s strategic priorities within the Wider Black Sea Region.
Respondents emphasised the complex interplay of energy geopolitics, territorial integrity, and regional power balances, identifying hybrid threats, particularly cyberattacks and disinformation as growing concerns. The impact of the Russia–Ukraine war was described as a major factor reshaping regional alignments and prompting reassessments of national security doctrine. Experts also highlighted the centrality of energy corridors, including the Zengezur and Southern Gas Corridor, for both national interests and regional stability. Azerbaijani stakeholders expressed interest in enhanced cooperation on maritime security, counter-hybrid threat strategies, and strengthened relations with NATO within a partnership-based framework. These findings will contribute to #SecureBlackSea’s comparative analysis of regional threat and future security structure perceptions.