Azerbaijan, Global Infrastructure Partners Discuss Expanding Investment Cooperation

Baku, The Gulf Observer: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Adebayo Ogunlesi, Founding Partner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a global infrastructure investment company operating under BlackRock.

During the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev and Adebayo Ogunlesi recalled their previous meeting in Davos in January and highlighted the significance of a memorandum of intent on long-term cooperation signed there between the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), BlackRock and Global Infrastructure Partners.

The sides welcomed the progress achieved in investment cooperation between Azerbaijan and GIP and exchanged views on the results of existing projects and prospects for further expanding the partnership.

They noted that cooperation between SOFAZ and GIP has already extended to specific international investment projects. In this regard, SOFAZ has jointly invested with GIP in Italo, Italy’s high-speed rail operator, as well as London’s Gatwick Airport.

The meeting also focused on investment opportunities in Azerbaijan’s infrastructure sector, including potential cooperation in digital and transport infrastructure.

President Ilham Aliyev and Ogunlesi also discussed the significance of the Second Azerbaijan International Investment Forum, held in Baku under the patronage of the Azerbaijani President, and the Azerbaijan Infrastructure Investment Dialogue organised within the framework of the forum and co-hosted by SOFAZ and BlackRock.

The sides noted that companies managing approximately US$30 trillion in assets participated in the events, underscoring the growing international interest in Azerbaijan’s investment and infrastructure opportunities.

Global Infrastructure Partners has operated as part of BlackRock since 2024. BlackRock manages US$15.3 trillion in assets and has investments across sectors including energy, transport, digital infrastructure, water and waste management.

GIP manages approximately US$170 billion in assets and is also among the founding partners of the AI Infrastructure Partnership, together with BlackRock, Microsoft and MGX.

The meeting highlighted the expanding investment relationship between Azerbaijan and leading global infrastructure investors, with particular attention to infrastructure development, digitalisation and international investment opportunities.