Azerbaijan and United States begin new chapter in relations

The visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to the United States has begun. The visit is taking place at the official invitation of President Donald Trump. This event can be called historical and demonstrates how much the international authority of Azerbaijan has increased today. Both the visit itself and the discussions that are planned within its framework mark the beginning of a new stage in bilateral relations, as well as a new stage in solving the problems of stability in the South Caucasus.

Azerbaijan and the United States have a lot to talk about. There are great prospects for the development of cooperation between the two countries in trade, economic, energy, investment, transport and transit, industrial and other fields. In the new geopolitical scenario, all these topics are becoming more ambitious and deserve broad cooperation. A lot has happened in our region and on the continent as a whole since the first term of Donald Trump's presidency. The victory in the 2020 war significantly increased the status of Azerbaijan, transferring it to the category of medium-strength states. Baku is an influential participant in international processes today, and its interests have significantly expanded and gone far beyond the South Caucasus. As you know, Azerbaijan is already entering the Middle East, a region that is extremely important to the United States, and Washington needs such an influential and reputable ally as Ilham Aliyev. The team that preceded the current US administration tried not to see these realities, but Donald Trump, as a pragmatist and politician who puts the interests of the United States above the interests of lobbying circles, knows who to deal with in this region.

After being elected President in November 2016, Trump said in a telephone conversation with the President of Azerbaijan that he had heard a lot of good things about him. These words clearly went beyond the standard diplomatic protocol and spoke about the awareness of the new head of the White House regarding the regional situation.

Over the past months, the two leaders have developed the kind of relationship that happens between friends who live far away but always keep each other in mind. 

At the Shusha Global Media Forum in July, President Ilham Aliyev, answering questions from participants, explained why Donald Trump is preferable to the previous team for Azerbaijan. The head of state stressed that Trump "shares fundamental values, including family values. He is the only president of the United States who has not started wars. And in the short time he has been in power, it is clear that he is a man who ends wars. And we are also very grateful to him personally for his desire to help Azerbaijan and Armenia eventually reach an agreement."

Donald Trump posted an excerpt from Ilham Aliyev's speech at the Shusha Media Forum on his Truth Social network. This fact has not gone unnoticed by the world's media and analysts. First of all, attention was drawn to the fact that the White House, it turns out, attentively listens to the speeches of the head of Azerbaijan. 

Earlier, in an interview with Chinese CGTN TV channel, the Azerbaijani leader said in connection with Donald Trump's entry into the White House: "I think the world can become much safer... We remember the time when President Trump was the head of the United States and our relations developed very successfully, unlike in the last four years, when they were in decline due to the unfair approach of the Biden administration to Azerbaijan."

Donald Trump. In turn, during his first and second terms, he constantly emphasized Azerbaijan's contribution to international security and its leadership in strengthening Europe's energy security through the Southern Gas Corridor initiative. The American leader has also always advocated promoting the peace process, but not with the usual phrases that other politicians juggled, but by demonstrating an oval interest in resolving the problem.

In a congratulatory message on the occasion of Azerbaijan's Independence Day on May 28, the US President wrote: "The United States continues to support lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. A peaceful settlement of the conflict will further contribute to the prosperity of the South Caucasus and provide more opportunities for cooperation with the United States. It is time to commit ourselves to peace and usher in a new era of prosperity for the peoples of the South Caucasus."

Despite the importance of the Azerbaijani-American agenda, the increased attention to what will happen in Washington this week is also caused by the upcoming discussions around the peace process in the South Caucasus. Not only in Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also in other countries of the region and the world, they are waiting for what will happen on the cherished Friday, designated as the day of negotiations between the leaders of the two countries. The Armenian media has already reported on the departure of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to Washington.

Azerbaijan's victory in the 44-day Patriotic War created a new situation in the region, opening up opportunities for peace, stability and good neighborliness. Other parties who tried to mediate peace did not succeed, as they pursued their own geopolitical interests that contradict the interests of the South Caucasus. Trump has a different approach. His administration does not take the pro-Armenian position that was traditional for the United States in previous years, which appeals to Baku. You can talk and even negotiate on such a platform. 

It should be recalled that during the Second Karabakh War, then-President Trump took a neutral position, did not make harsh statements against Baku, while Europe was seething.

The detractors are fooling around, claiming that nothing will come of Trump's peacemaking, just as it did not in Ukraine and Gaza. But there is one very important caveat: negotiations will always succeed where the parties want to reach an agreement. Azerbaijan and Armenia want to reach an agreement and bring long-awaited peace to their peoples. Probably, the participants in other conflicts do not pursue a similar goal, which is why the failures are connected. What can the United States do if the conflicting parties themselves are unwilling to negotiate?

Armenia also went to this understanding for a long time and hard, but Nikol Pashinyan's team still managed to draw the right conclusions. President Ilham Aliyev's strength, tenacity and effective diplomacy in the international arena have left Yerevan no room for maneuver.

Baku's demands on Yerevan remain unchanged. These are amendments to the Armenian Constitution, a joint appeal to the OSCE regarding the abolition of the Minsk Group.According to information disseminated by the media, both points identified by the Azerbaijani side as a condition for signing a final peace will be reflected in the document to be signed in Washington.

The next most important point is the opening of the Zangezur corridor. It is reported that this issue is also reflected in the text of the Joint Declaration scheduled for signing. It is expected that during the discussions in the United States, the legal and technical aspects of issues related to the Zangezur Corridor will be considered.

Some analysts today draw parallels between the upcoming negotiations in Washington and the signing of the agreement between Egypt and Israel in 1978 at Camp David (USA), mediated by the then President of the United States Jimmy Carter. It was one of the most high-profile successes of American diplomacy. Donald Trump is making every effort today to repeat this success in the Russian-Ukrainian war shaking Europe. in ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, in the settlement between Baku and Yerevan. I think the success of Camp David can be repeated in our conflict. More precisely, not in the conflict, as it is over, but in establishing a final peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Baku is not exaggerating at all, recalling the rule of Joe Biden's team with an "unkind word." During his years in the White House, the Biden administration has managed to seriously damage relations with Azerbaijan. It should be recalled that she brought to light the notorious 907th Amendment and tried to turn it into an instrument of pressure on Baku. The amendment itself is an example of blatant injustice, bias, and bias. And the attempts to wave it in Azerbaijan's face were evidence of no less blatant shortsightedness and political blindness. 

Not only Biden, but also a number of other Western leaders have chosen the wrong and completely ineffective policy towards Azerbaijan. Many people tried to break Baku, including state leaders, international organizations, and the Armenian lobby. The current visit of President Ilham Aliyev to Washington and the upcoming discussions with the Armenian leader there, mediated by Donald Trump, will be a kind of response to all these forces, a blow to the piles of lies and phobias, and will also destroy the established and already entrenched system according to which the West supports the Armenian side by default. Trump is not Macron, the current head of the White House understands that taking sides will not solve problems. This is the truth that Baku has been trying to convey to the Western world year after year.

Azerbaijan and the United States are strategic partners. This partnership manifests itself in a variety of ways. Washington is an undoubted partner of Baku in energy projects. Let's say more - the support of the United States played a significant role in the implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor. Further, the United States supports Azerbaijan with advanced technologies and investments. Also, let's not forget about the field of defense and security. The parties cooperate in the fields of defense industry, joint fight against terrorism and regional security.

What is expected from this visit in Azerbaijan? Expanding the bilateral agenda between Baku and Washington, improving the quality of cooperation and reaffirming the values that bind the United States and Azerbaijan. We also expect a breakthrough in the Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement. And we think that the same is expected in Armenia.

The visit of the Azerbaijani President to the United States is already a breakthrough in itself.