Lawrence Meredith, Director for the Eastern Partnership and Institution Building at the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations at the European Commission of the European Union (EU), is in Baku and is holding meetings with the political leadership of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani media, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, report that at the meeting with Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, opinions were exchanged regarding the current agenda of cooperation in economy, energy, investment, transport, and some other domains, as well as the current situation in the region.

Bayramov emphasized the importance of the memorandum of understanding signed between Azerbaijan and the EU on July 18—and not only from the point of view of increasing the supply of Azerbaijani natural gas to Europe, but also from the point of view of the development of alternative sources of energy. He noted that as a result of increased efforts in transport corridors, an increase in the amount of cargo passing through the territory of Azerbaijan was recorded. Bayramov noted with satisfaction "the EU's interest in investing in the restoration of territories liberated from occupation."

Meredith, for his part, said that the initiative and activeness shown by Azerbaijan in connection with the implementation of the "Middle Corridor" makes the country one of the important partners in transport and transit. He also emphasized that it is a priority for the EU to invest in regional economies, small and medium-sized entrepreneurship, alternative energy, transport, and digital development.

To note, the mention of the "Middle Corridor" is noteworthy. In Azerbaijan and Turkey, this route is called "middle," it is intended to connect China and European countries via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

However, the stubborn demand of the Azerbaijani-Turkish tandem from Armenia to provide the "Zangezur Corridor" is obviously related to this project. By encouraging Azerbaijan, the aforesaid European official encourages aggressive behavior towards Armenia.