European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Tuesday, opening a two-day visit to the South Caucasus that underscored the European Union’s growing strategic interest in the region as it seeks to strengthen energy security, transport links and regional stability.
Baku is the first stop of von der Leyen’s regional tour before she travels to Armenia, with the European Commission describing the visit as part of sustained high-level engagement with partners across the South Caucasus.
