Baku, August 9, 2025 – On August 7–8, 2025, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev, paid an official visit to the United States of America, marking a historic step forward in bilateral relations.
During the visit, the Presidents of both countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of a Strategic Working Group to develop a Charter on Strategic Partnership, aimed at elevating Azerbaijan–U.S. ties to a new level of cooperation. The Strategic Working Group, to be formed within six months, will focus on key areas such as regional connectivity—covering energy, trade, and transit—economic investment in emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure, as well as defense, security, and counter-terrorism.
A major achievement of the visit was the extension of the waiver of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, signed by the U.S. President during the bilateral meeting—a decision that removes a long-standing obstacle in Azerbaijan–U.S. relations and carries deep symbolic importance.
The visit also delivered significant progress in the Azerbaijan–Armenia normalization process. A trilateral summit between the Presidents of Azerbaijan, the United States, and Armenia concluded with the signing of a Joint Declaration by the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, witnessed by the U.S. President. Foreign Ministers from both sides initialed a Draft Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations and jointly appealed to the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the closure of the OSCE Minsk Process—removing another major barrier to lasting peace.
The Joint Declaration reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s peace agenda, underscoring commitments to open transportation and communication links, including guaranteed connectivity between the main territory of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. A special U.S.-led project—the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity”—will establish unimpeded transport corridors across Armenian territory to Nakhchivan, enhancing regional stability and economic integration.
Additionally, in the presence of President Aliyev and the U.S. President’s Special Envoy, SOCAR and ExxonMobil signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to expand collaboration on conventional and unconventional oil and gas opportunities in Azerbaijan, further cementing energy partnership between the two nations.
President Aliyev’s visit to Washington has been hailed as a historic milestone that not only strengthens Azerbaijan–U.S. strategic ties but also advances the long-awaited peace process with Armenia, paving the way for a new era of stability, connectivity, and prosperity in the South Caucasus.
BY: The Times Union
