Austria’s new ambassador to Azerbaijan, Etienne Berchtold, pledges to deepen bilateral relations, while President Ilham Aliyev highlights opportunities in political, economic, energy, investment and cultural cooperation.
Austria’s newly appointed Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Etienne Berchtold, has pledged to further strengthen bilateral relations across multiple areas during his diplomatic mission in Baku.
Berchtold presented his credentials to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, formally beginning his tenure as Austria’s ambassador to the country. He addressed the Azerbaijani president in the Azerbaijani language and expressed his intention to further develop relations between Austria and Azerbaijan.
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Following the presentation of his credentials, Berchtold said he was honoured to begin his official mission in Azerbaijan and would work to deepen the two countries’ bilateral relations at all levels. He also expressed his intention to further improve his Azerbaijani language skills during his diplomatic assignment.
President Aliyev welcomed the ambassador and expressed confidence that cooperation between Azerbaijan and Austria would continue to expand. He identified political dialogue, economic relations, mutual investment, culture and other areas as fields with scope for further development.
Aliyev also noted that Austrian companies have been operating in Azerbaijan for many years and stressed the importance of increasing their number in the future. The two sides highlighted reciprocal high-level visits, political consultations and interparliamentary relations as important mechanisms for strengthening bilateral ties.
Energy cooperation was also highlighted during the meeting. The sides recalled Azerbaijan’s role in contributing to Europe’s energy security and noted that Azerbaijani natural gas supplies to Austria began in January 2026. Energy and transport have been identified as important areas for further bilateral cooperation.
Berchtold took up his duties as Austria’s ambassador to Azerbaijan in August 2026. He previously served as Austria’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from August 2022 to August 2026 and held several foreign-policy communication roles at Austria’s Federal Chancellery.
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The appointment comes amid continued efforts by both countries to broaden their bilateral engagement. In August, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Berchtold discussed cooperation in politics, the economy, energy, transport, tourism and humanitarian affairs, as well as coordination through international organisations including the United Nations, OSCE and European Union.
Austria and Azerbaijan established diplomatic relations in February 1992, and their cooperation has since expanded through political, economic and institutional exchanges.