Orkhan Yolchuyev, Director of the CASPIA Analytical Center, commented to Euronews on the transformation of Azerbaijan-Germany relations amid the official visit of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to Germany.

According to Yolchuyev, bilateral cooperation between Baku and Berlin is gradually moving beyond its traditional focus on energy and is evolving into a broader industrial and geo-economic partnership.

"Azerbaijan is gradually ceasing to be perceived by Germany solely as an energy supplier and is increasingly becoming part of a new Eurasian industrial and logistics architecture," Yolchuyev said.

He noted that bilateral trade between Azerbaijan and Germany reached approximately €1.7 billion in 2025, driven by growing German exports of industrial equipment, machinery, and transport systems.

The CASPIA Director also emphasized that more than 250 German companies currently operate in Azerbaijan across manufacturing, construction, logistics, and the energy sector. However, according to Yolchuyev, the significance of these figures lies not in the trade volume itself but in what it represents.

"These figures indicate that bilateral relations are evolving toward a higher level of industrial cooperation," he said. "Germany is not only seeking new export markets but also looking to build more resilient supply chains amid the changing global economic landscape."

According to the expert, German companies are well positioned to expand their participation in Azerbaijan's reconstruction projects, industrial parks, transport infrastructure, renewable energy initiatives, and advanced manufacturing in the coming years.

Yolchuyev also highlighted the growing importance of the Middle Corridor, whose strategic relevance has increased significantly since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Today, European countries increasingly view the route as one of the most reliable alternatives for connecting Europe and Asia.

In this context, Azerbaijan is emerging as one of Eurasia's key logistics hubs through the continued development of the Port of Baku, the national railway network, and the Alat Free Economic Zone.

At the same time, the CASPIA Director stressed that the strategic value of the Middle Corridor should not be measured solely by cargo volumes but by the nature of the goods transported.

"The higher the share of high value-added products—such as automotive components, industrial machinery, electrical equipment, electronics, or chemical products—the greater the economic efficiency of the route," Yolchuyev noted.

According to the expert, Azerbaijan's expanding industrial capacity and its deeper integration into European manufacturing and logistics networks have the potential to elevate Azerbaijan-Germany relations to a new level, where energy cooperation will remain an important pillar but will no longer be the sole foundation of the bilateral partnership.