Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa arrived in Azerbaijan on Saturday, June 12 for his first official visit since taking office, marking a significant step in Syria’s efforts to reestablish regional ties following the fall of the Assad regime.
The visit comes at the invitation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and follows a previous meeting between the two leaders in April at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum. Saturday’s talks, held at Zogulba Palace in Baku, focused on expanding bilateral cooperation, with both countries emphasizing energy, diplomacy and economic development.
Sharaa was accompanied by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, Energy Minister Muhammed al-Bashir, and General Intelligence Chief Hussein al-Salama.
Natural Gas Deal Highlights Energy Cooperation
During the visit, Syria signed a natural gas agreement with SOCAR, Azerbaijan’s state oil company. The deal aims to strengthen Syria’s energy infrastructure and reduce its dependency on foreign supply lines.
Aliyev reportedly reiterated Azerbaijan’s readiness to support Syria’s efforts to become an active player on the international stage. In comments relayed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan following his own visit to Baku last week, Aliyev pledged full backing in the energy sector. “Aliyev assured me that Azerbaijan is ready to fully support Syria in natural gas,” Erdogan said in remarks carried by Turkish state media.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov also stated that Baku stands ready to assist Syria in rebuilding diplomatic capacity, noting that Azerbaijan closed its embassy in Damascus in 2012 due to the Assad regime’s policies. “We view Syria as a future ally,” Bayramov said in an earlier interview.
Reports of Syrian-Israeli Meeting Remain Unconfirmed
The visit coincided with reports from Agence France-Presse of an unpublicized, and unconfirmed, meeting between Syrian and Israeli officials in Baku to discuss military activity in southern Syria. According to an unnamed diplomatic source, the talks were expected to address Israel’s recent presence near the Golan Heights. However, Syrian President Sharaa was not involved in the meeting, and the Syrian government has not confirmed any such dialogue. The identity of the Syrian representative, if any, remains unclear.
Adding to the speculation, Israeli media outlet i24News reported an alleged upcoming meeting between President Sharaa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, DC, later this year. The report, citing a Syrian source speaking anonymously, claimed the two leaders might sign a preliminary security agreement under the mediation of US President Donald Trump. Syrian officials have not commented on the claim, and no official statements from Damascus or Washington have corroborated the report.
Looking Ahead: Strategic Reset for Syria
Saturday’s visit underscores Azerbaijan’s interest in rebuilding ties with Syria and reflects broader regional shifts since the end of the Assad era. The renewed diplomatic engagement follows years of isolation and signals a strategic realignment in the Caucasus and Middle East.
