Azerbaijan and Syria took steps toward restoring bilateral relations on 13 July, with both countries' leaders pledging enhanced cooperation, particularly in the energy sector, amid talks between Syrian and Israeli officials in the Azeri capital, according to Cradle.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev welcomed Syrian interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa to Baku in a meeting that marked the first official engagement between the two governments since former president Bashar al-Assad's ouster in December 2024.

Sharaa, a former ISIS commander whose forces toppled Assad's government, thanked Aliyev for Azerbaijan's "brotherly support" and said that the previous Syrian administration had damaged Damascus's relationships with several countries, including Azerbaijan.

"The visit of the Syrian president to Azerbaijan will significantly contribute to the development of bilateral relations," Aliyev stated, according to the Azerbaijani presidency.

Central to the talks was a shared commitment to address Syria's ongoing energy crisis. The Azerbaijani government announced plans to begin exporting natural gas to Syria via Turkiye in the near future.

"This project will contribute to ensuring the energy security of Syria," the Azerbaijani presidency said in a statement, noting that the two countries would also explore Azerbaijani involvement in rebuilding Syria's devastated energy infrastructure.