Azerbaijan directly supplies natural gas to eight member states of the contemporary Three Seas Initiative (3SI, Intermarium): Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, and Germany (which joined gas imports in early 2026 and holds partner status within the Initiative).

Cooperation Routes and Projects

Southern Gas Corridor (SGC). Gas supplies are delivered through a network of pipelines crossing Türkiye and Greece, including interconnectors linking European countries.

Solidarity Ring Initiative. Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia have modernized their gas transmission systems to facilitate the transit of additional volumes of Azerbaijani natural gas into Central Europe. The Czech Republic, another member of the Three Seas Initiative, is actively negotiating the commencement of Azerbaijani gas imports.

The prospects for the development of relations between Azerbaijan and the Intermarium states (the contemporary Three Seas Initiative) are assessed as exceptionally promising and strategically significant. Official Baku already acts as a de facto partner of the Initiative, as evidenced by the participation of the Azerbaijani delegation as a special guest at the 10th Anniversary Summit of the Three Seas Initiative held in Zagreb on 24–25 March 2026.

Cooperation is developing along three key strategic dimensions.

1. Energy Security and the Green Transition

Azerbaijan is gradually transforming itself from a traditional exporter of fossil fuels into one of Europe’s key partners in the field of renewable energy.

Green Energy Corridor (Caspian–Black Sea–Europe). This flagship project envisages the construction of a submarine electricity cable with a capacity of up to 4 GW across the Black Sea, connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria. The project has been granted the status of a Project of Mutual Interest (PMI) by the European Union, ensuring substantial financial support.

Expansion of Gas Supplies. The further development of the Southern Gas Corridor enables increased transportation volumes of Azerbaijani natural gas through the Solidarity Ring mechanism into the heart of Central Europe.

2. Transport and Logistics (East–West Axis)

The infrastructure of the Three Seas countries, traditionally oriented along the North–South axis, is increasingly being integrated with Azerbaijani transit routes.

Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, TITR). The Baltic States, Poland, and Romania view this route as a secure overland corridor for transporting goods from China and Central Asia to Europe while bypassing Russia.

Caspian Sea–Black Sea Route. This multimodal transport corridor, promoted by Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Turkmenistan, is designed to connect Caspian ports directly with the European logistics network of the Intermarium countries.

3. Geopolitical Convergence

Cooperation between Baku and the countries of the Intermarium is mutually beneficial in political terms.

Balance of Power. For the states of Central and Eastern Europe, Azerbaijan represents a reliable sovereign partner contributing to the strengthening of their energy and resource independence from external pressure.

Diplomatic Bridge. Through countries such as Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria, which traditionally maintain close and friendly relations with Baku, Azerbaijan effectively advances its economic interests at the broader European level.

An important milestone was the Parliamentary Summit of the Three Seas Initiative (the contemporary geopolitical embodiment of the Intermarium concept), held in Zagreb on 24–25 March 2026. The central theme of the First Parliamentary Summit of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) was “Developing the Three Seas Initiative: Vision, Responsibility, Partnership.” Speakers and deputy speakers of parliaments from member states, associated countries, and strategic partners participated in the event.

At the Zagreb Summit, Azerbaijan was effectively regarded as one of Europe’s key strategic partners in the field of energy security. European leaders discussed imports of Azerbaijani natural gas via the Southern Gas Corridor as one of the principal instruments for diversifying energy supplies to Central and Eastern Europe. At the same time, the infrastructure projects of the Three Seas Initiative aimed at strengthening the North–South axis intersect with Baku’s interests in promoting the Middle Corridor (East–West) and other transit routes linking Asia and the Caspian region with Europe.

The Azerbaijani delegation at the Parliamentary Summit of the Three Seas Initiative was headed by Rafael Huseynov, Deputy Speaker of the Milli Majlis (Parliament of Azerbaijan). The delegation attended the event at the special invitation of the Croatian side as an honored guest.

In his address, Rafael Huseynov emphasized that although Azerbaijan is not formally a permanent member or associated partner of the Three Seas Initiative, the depth of its economic and energy ties with member states makes it a de facto strategic partner of the organization. Discussions focused on Baku’s indispensable role in ensuring Europe’s energy security, diversifying gas supplies, and developing logistics routes, particularly the Middle Corridor.

Special attention was devoted to the infrastructural interconnectedness of regions and Azerbaijan’s role as a factor of stability. Rafael Huseynov underscored the strategic significance of the Southern Gas Corridor project initiated by the European Commission. According to him, the project provides not only economic benefits but also substantial political advantages by helping Europe reduce its dependence on Russian energy resources. He further noted that economic dependency, as historical experience repeatedly demonstrates, often leads to political pressure and adverse consequences.

It was also emphasized that most countries involved in Azerbaijan’s large-scale logistics and energy projects—including Türkiye, Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, and others—are simultaneously participants in the Three Seas Initiative. This makes Baku a natural and indispensable partner of the organization.

The Azerbaijani parliamentarian stated that the Summit and all formats of mutually beneficial cooperation send an important message to today’s turbulent world, marked by wars and conflicts. In his view, partnership, mutual trust, and cooperation remain the only reliable path toward stability.

In conclusion, the invitation extended to the Azerbaijani delegation and the reaction of summit participants demonstrated Europe’s strong interest in cooperation with Baku. The leadership of the Croatian Parliament (Sabor), as well as representatives of other Central and Eastern European countries, openly emphasized Azerbaijan’s important role within the architecture of European energy security. European leaders increasingly view the Caspian region through the prism of developing the Middle Corridor and diversifying energy supplies.

Rizvan Huseynov, Director of the Center for the History of the Caucasus