The beginning of mutual relations dates back to the 19th century. German company “
Siemens Brothers
Siemens Brothers and Company Limited was an electrical engineering design and manufacturing business in London, England. It was first established as a branchThe company started with a small factory at 12 Millbank Row, Westminster SW1, London, ne ...
” built copper smelting plants in Gadabay, and cobalt plant in Dashkesan. As the result of the construction of these plants, the activity of German industrialist grew in Azerbaijan and German colonies emerged in surrounding areas, especially in Goygol (
Helenendorf Helenendorf may refer to the following places in Azerbaijan:
* Goygol (city), named Helenendorf until 1931
* Bibiheybət, a municipality in Baku, formerly known as Helenendorf
{{geodis ...
) and Shamkir ( Annenfeld). The German population of Azerbaijan reached 23133 until 1939 living in 8 colonies. In 1941, Soviet authorities deported German population of Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan and Siberia.
Diplomatic relations
Germany recognized the independence of Azerbaijan on January 12, 1992. Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Germany established on February 20, 1992. Azerbaijan opened its first Embassy in Western Europe, in Germany on September 2, 1992, and Embassy of Germany to Azerbaijan was opened on September 22, 1992. Ramin Hasanov was accredited as the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Germany in September 2016. Michael Kindsgrab is the Ambassador of Germany in Azerbaijan since August 2016.
In November 2023, Azerbaijan summoned the German ambassador to protest at what it said were "illegal financial operations" to support independent online outlet Abzas Media, three of whose staff were arrested the week before.
Legal base of bilateral relations
Several documents signed between the two countries: the Agreement on Financial Cooperation (April, 1995); Agreement on Air Transport (July 1995); Agreement on Cultural Cooperation (December 1995); Agreement on abrogation of double taxation in respect to income and property taxes (August 2004); Agreement on military cooperation between the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan and the Federal Ministry of Defense of Germany; Joint Declaration on Legal Cooperation between the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan and the Federal Ministry of Justice of Germany; Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of a high-level Working Group on Trade and Investment between the Ministry of Economic Development of Azerbaijan and the Federal Ministry of Economy and Technology of Germany (May 2011); Agreement between the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the establishment of the German-Azerbaijani Foreign Trade Chamber in Baku (March 2012).
Ilham Aliyev
Ilham Heydar oghlu Aliyev ( az, İlham Heydər oğlu Əliyev, ; born 24 December 1961) is the fourth president of Azerbaijan, serving in the post since 31 October 2003.
The son and second child of the former Azerbaijani leader Heydar Aliyev, ...
(2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016. 2023)
* Minister of Foreign Affairs
Elmar Mammadyarov
Elmar Maharram oghlu Mammadyarov ( az, Elmar Məhərrəm oğlu Məmmədyarov), born July 2, 1960) is an Azerbaijani diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan between 7 April 2004 and 16 July 2020. Mammadyarov speaks Russia ...
(2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016)
* Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Araz Azimov
, image = File:Araz Azimov February 2016 (24932626176).jpg
, order =
, title = Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan
, term_start = 1994
, predecessor =
, president ...
Guido Westerwelle
Guido Westerwelle (; 27 December 1961 – 18 March 2016) was a German politician who served as Foreign Minister in the second cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel and Vice-Chancellor of Germany from 2009 to 2011, being the first openly gay person ...
(2012)
* Minister of Foreign Affairs
Klaus Kinkel
Klaus Kinkel (17 December 1936 – 4 March 2019)
(1995)
* Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Fischer (2001, 2004)
Inter-parliamentary relations
The inter-parliamentary cooperation between the two countries is carried out by the Working Group on Azerbaijan-Germany inter-parliamentary relations from Azerbaijan, and the German-South Caucasus Parliamentary Group from Germany.Milli Majlis established the Working Group on Azerbaijan-Germany inter-parliamentary relations on 7 March 1997. According to the decision of Milli Majlis dated 4 March 2016, the head of the Working Group on Azerbaijan-Germany inter-parliamentary relations is Rovshan Rzayev.
Consular relations
The Consular Section of the Embassy of Azerbaijan to Germany carries out the consular service of Azerbaijan in Germany.
Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Germany is located in
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
, and the Honorary Consul of Azerbaijan is Otto Hauser.
Baku
Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
gallery was opened in Berlin as a partner of the Maiden Tower Gallery in
Baku
Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
. “Year of Azerbaijan” was held in Germany in 2008, and German Culture Weeks were organized in Azerbaijan in 2009. The German church located in the area of former
Helenendorf Helenendorf may refer to the following places in Azerbaijan:
* Goygol (city), named Helenendorf until 1931
* Bibiheybət, a municipality in Baku, formerly known as Helenendorf
{{geodis ...
was restored in 2008 with the support of the Federal Government.
Cultural night was organized at Berlin History Museum in September 2011 on the occasion of 20th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan, besides cultural evenings were held in Munich,
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
, Cologne, Hamburg in 2013, in Hanover, Düsseldorf, Dresden in 2014, in Frankfurt in 2015 organized by Heydar Aliyev Foundation with support of Azerbaijani Embassy in Germany.
German Embassy in Azerbaijan organized the first German teachers’ day in Azerbaijan, Shaki city in March 2017. A concert dedicated to the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Germany was organized in Berlin on December 1, 2017.
Economic relations
According to the statistics, bilateral merchandise trade between Azerbaijan and Germany totaled 1.914 million USD in 2015. Import volume of Azerbaijan was 690,08 million USD, and export was 1.224 million USD in 2015. In 2015, the share of Germany was 9.27% in the foreign trade turnover of Azerbaijan, including 7.48% in imports and 10.71% in exports.
Germany-Azerbaijan High-level Working Group on Trade and Investment was established on May 5, 2011. Head of the Office of the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan Samir Valiyev and Director General for Foreign Economic Policy of the Ministry of Economy and Technology of Germany Eckhard Franz are the Co-chairs of the Group. The Group organized meetings in 2011 and 2015 in Berlin, in 2013 and 2014 in Baku. The 7th meeting was held in Berlin on November 22, 2017.
German-Azerbaijani Foreign Trade Chamber was opened in
Baku
Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
on November 12, 2012. The Chamber has more than 13 member-organizations from the two countries. Representations of some of the Azerbaijani companies are operating in Germany, as
SOCAR
The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic ( az, Azərbaycan Respublikası Dövlət Neft Şirkəti), largely known as SOCAR is fully state-owned national oil and gas company headquartered in Baku, Azerbaijan. The company produces oil and na ...
* Azerbaijan has an embassy in Berlin.
* Germany has an embassy in
Baku
Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
.
File:Das Gebäude der Botschaft .jpg, Embassy of Azerbaijan in Berlin
Foreign relations of Germany
The Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) is a Central European country and member of the European Union, G4, G7, the G20, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It maintains ...
*
Azerbaijanis in Germany
Currently, there are more than 200,000 Azerbaijanis in Germany. About 17,000 of them live in the capital city of Berlin. The majority of Azerbaijanis work in the field of service and construction. The minority of Azerbaijanis are involved in sta ...
Germans in Azerbaijan
Germans have lived in Azerbaijan since the 1810s, with a large concentration of them once found in the western part of the country. The community grew out of two original settlements founded by German settlers from Württemberg who settled here in ...
St. John's Church, Goygol
Saint John's Church ( az, Müqəddəs İohann kilsəsi; german: St. Johanniskirche) is a former Lutheranism, Lutheran church in Goygol (city), Goygol (formerly known as Helenendorf and later Khanlar), Azerbaijan. It was the first German Lutheran c ...