President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, paid a visit to the United States of America.
Washington DC : During the visit, the Presidents of both countries signed a “Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the United States of America regarding the establishment of a Strategic Working Group to develop a Charter on Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United States of America” to elevate the Azerbaijan-U.S. relations to the level of strategic partnership.
According to the Memorandum of Understanding, a Strategic Working Group will be established between the two countries to develop a Charter on Strategic Partnership, within a six-month time period, that will be served to strengthen strategic partnership in areas of mutual interest. In the Working Group, a priority will be given to areas such as regional connectivity, including energy, trade and transit; economic investment, including artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure; as well as defense, security, and counter-terrorism. This has particular significance in terms of establishing an institutional framework for bilateral practical cooperation.
A key highlight of the visit was also an Executive Order signed by the U.S. President on extension of waiver of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, during the bilateral meeting of two Presidents. The waiver of this amendment—a negative legacy in Azerbaijan-U.S. relations—during President Ilham Aliyev’s visit, holds profound symbolic significance.
The visit also yielded substantial outcomes in the context of the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process. A trilateral summit was held involving the leaders of Azerbaijan, the United States, and Armenia, culminating in the signing of a Joint Declaration by the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, and by the President of the United States as a witness. Furthermore, the Foreign Ministers of both countries initialed the Draft Agreement on Establishment of Peace and Inter State Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, and signed a joint letter of appeal addressed to the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office requesting the closure of the OSCE Minsk Process and its related structures.
The signing of the Joint Declaration in Washington reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s peace agenda. Within the framework of the provision regarding the initialing of the Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, it was acknowledged that further actions are required to achieve the signing and ratification of the Agreement. In this context, to enable the signing of the Agreement, the Azerbaijani side expects that amendments will be made to the Constitution of Armenia in order to eliminate territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
Another noteworthy provision in the Joint Declaration is the commitment to opening transportation and communication links between the two countries. It emphasizes the necessity of ensuring an unimpeded connectivity between the main part of Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
The document also sets forth a special connectivity project to be implemented within Armenian territory: the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.” This initiative, led by the United States, aims to establish an unimpeded connectivity between the main part of Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic via the territory of Armenia.
The joint appeal to the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office regarding the closure of the Minsk Process and its related structures marks another important step towards eliminating one of the major obstacles to peace and normalization.
Moreover, within the framework of the visit, in the presence of the President of Azerbaijan and the U.S. President’s Special Envoy, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between SOCAR and ExxonMobil corporation. The document aims to strengthen the existing positive relations between the companies and explore potential areas of cooperation in evaluating both conventional and unconventional oil and gas opportunities in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Overall, the agreements reached during President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to the United States and the outcomes within the Azerbaijan–Armenia normalization process carry historic significance.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
