The article examines the role of the oil and gas sector of the Republic of Azerbaijan as the most important tool for ensuring the successful foreign policy of the republic. Despite the fact that at the dawn of its independence, oil and gas production in Azerbaijan stagnated and energy reserves were relatively small, the republic has managed to become a key player in the energy market of the Caspian and Black Sea basins and Southern Europe in 30 years of independence. Azerbaijan managed to do this largely due to several objective and subjective factors. First, the country's favorable geopolitical position, as well as its oil and gas reserves, allowed Azerbaijan not only to become a supplier of energy resources to the world market, but also to act as a key transit state in the geopolitical system of Central Asia - the Caspian Sea-the South Caucasus. Secondly, Azerbaijan was the first of the Caspian states to start developing marine natural resources after the collapse of the USSR, thanks to its active negotiating position with its neighbors and competent work with foreign investors. Third, the republic, together with interested players, carried out systematic work to build a system for transporting oil and gas through pipelines, which by 2006 allowed Azerbaijan to enter the world oil market via an independent route to Turkey, and in 2020 helped Azerbaijan become a direct supplier of natural gas to European countries.