Azerbaijan–Germany Business Push: President Ilham Aliyev’s Berlin visit with Chancellor Friedrich Merz produced a Joint Declaration on a Strategic Agenda and an agreement to set up a Germany-Azerbaijan Business Council and Economic Council, aiming to institutionalize cooperation beyond oil and gas—into renewables, hydrogen, connectivity and logistics, with Merz also stressing Germany wants to boost gas supplies from Azerbaijan and that wars are reshaping both countries’ security and economic interests. Energy & Transit Reality Check: Aliyev said Azerbaijan supplies oil and gas to Armenia that supports its energy security, while Kazakhstan is reportedly reconsidering Black Sea oil exports after tanker attacks—potentially strengthening the Trans-Caspian route via Azerbaijan and the Middle Corridor. Trade Logistics on the Move: Azerbaijani carriers opened logistics centers in China (Khorgos, Urumqi) to cut border delays, and ABADA said the Zangezur corridor could reduce distances, border crossings and costs for cargo to Europe. Policy for Work & Growth: Azerbaijan’s employment strategy for 2026–2030 includes a flexible working-hours model for selected sectors, and the Economy Ministry met the IMF to discuss forecasts, tax reforms and support tools for entrepreneurship and non-oil diversification. Azerbaijan in Global Cybersecurity: Azercell became the first Azerbaijani corporate to join FIRST and set up a registered Telecom CERT, earning international recognition for incident response capabilities. Azerbaijan Business Signals: Azerbaijan Airlines added a fourth Airbus A320neo to its 2026 fleet expansion, while Azeri Light crude rose to $93.91/bbl.