A significant development during the visit was the U.S. President’s signing of an Executive Order extending the waiver of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act
DNA
BAKU: The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev, paid an official visit to the United States of America on July 7–8, 2025, marking a new chapter in bilateral relations.
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. The initiative aims to elevate Azerbaijan–U.S. relations to the level of a strategic partnership.
Under the agreement, a Strategic Working Group will be formed to develop the Charter within six months. The focus will be on key areas of mutual interest, including regional connectivity—covering energy, trade, and transit—economic investment, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, defense, security, and counter-terrorism. The initiative is seen as a major step toward institutionalizing practical cooperation between the two nations.
A significant development during the visit was the U.S. President’s signing of an Executive Order extending the waiver of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. This amendment, long viewed as a negative legacy in bilateral ties, was lifted during President Aliyev’s visit, underscoring its symbolic importance.
The trip also yielded breakthroughs 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 Azerbaijan and Armenia, witnessed by the U.S. President. Foreign Ministers of both countries also initialed the 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 and its related structures.
The Joint Declaration reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s peace agenda while noting that constitutional amendments in Armenia would be necessary to remove territorial claims against Azerbaijan. It also committed both sides to opening transport and communication links, including unimpeded connectivity between mainland Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
Of particular note was the announcement of the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity,” a U.S.-led special connectivity project through Armenian territory to link Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan.
In the economic sphere, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between SOCAR and ExxonMobil in the presence of President Aliyev and the U.S. President’s Special Envoy. The agreement aims to build on existing ties and explore opportunities in both conventional and unconventional oil and gas development in Azerbaijan.
President Aliyev’s U.S. visit, alongside the progress made in the peace process with Armenia, represents a landmark moment in Azerbaijan’s diplomatic history—strengthening strategic ties with Washington while advancing the vision for lasting peace and regional prosperity.
