EU pledges €623 million for digital and AI links across South Caucasus, Central Asia

The European Commission pledged up to €623 million in investment and technical assistance for secure digital infrastructure spanning the Black Sea region, the South Caucasus, Türkiye and Central Asia, at the first High-Level Platform on Digital Connectivity meeting in Chisinau, Moldova, on 9 November 2026, according to Report.az, which cited the European Commission.

What was pledged

• The funding covers 5G networks, satellite communications, artificial intelligence and data centres, according to a European Commission statement republished by Brussels-based outlet Insight EU Monitoring.
• The meeting was attended by European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan, ministers responsible for digital transformation, and representatives of EU member states, the Black Sea region, Türkiye, the South Caucasus and Central Asia, along with international financial institutions and the private sector, Report.az said.
• "Connectivity is more than an economic priority — it is also about security, resilience, and independence," Kos said, according to the Commission statement.
• The platform, launched in June 2026, is part of the EU's effort to develop transport, energy and digital links to Central Asia via the South Caucasus and Black Sea region; Brussels expects the related Middle Corridor to triple trade flows and cut freight transit times by 2030, Report.az reported.
• The next platform meeting, on energy connectivity, is set for 2027, while a second ministerial meeting on regional security and connectivity follows in Brussels on 16 November, per Report.az.

Why it matters

Report.az and the Commission's own statement named the South Caucasus, alongside the Black Sea region, Türkiye and Central Asia, among the regions covered by the €623 million package, without publishing a country-by-country breakdown — so it is not yet clear how much, if any, is earmarked for projects inside Azerbaijan specifically.

What it means for Azerbaijani companies

Azerbaijan's Artificial Intelligence Strategy for 2025–2028, approved by presidential decree, lists improving "infrastructure accessibility" among its stated aims, alongside accelerating AI research and strengthening the pool of qualified personnel, according to Report.az's coverage of the decree. An EU package naming the South Caucasus as a recipient region for AI and data-centre investment is therefore relevant to that domestic goal, but with no Azerbaijan-specific project, company or funding figure disclosed, local technology and telecoms firms have nothing concrete to apply for yet — only a framework to monitor as the Brussels ministerial on 16 November and the 2027 energy meeting add detail.