AZE.US
President Ilham Aliyev has described Donald Trump as a peace-oriented leader capable of bringing conflicts to an end, while saying relations between Azerbaijan and the United States have reached their highest level in history.
Aliyev made the remarks at the opening of the Fourth Shusha Global Media Forum, titled “Media’s Mission in Promoting Peace: Restoring Truth and Rebuilding Trust.”
The Azerbaijani president criticized the former OSCE Minsk Group and previous US administrations for their handling of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict during nearly three decades of Armenian occupation.
According to Aliyev, the mediators sought to freeze the conflict rather than resolve it.
“Although there were UN resolutions, their objective was to freeze the issue,” Aliyev said. “The Minsk Group did not work to resolve the conflict. On the contrary, its purpose was to make the occupation indefinite.”
Aliyev said Trump had taken a fundamentally different approach.
“President Donald Trump is a peace-loving person and someone capable of bringing peace,” he said.
The Azerbaijani leader said Trump had already helped stop eight wars in different parts of the world.
“This reflects his vision, his nature and his policy,” Aliyev said.
He also praised the Trump administration’s role in the final stage of negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
According to Aliyev, Trump and his team created a framework that made peace possible as Baku and Yerevan approached the final phase of talks.
He said the US administration understood Azerbaijan’s concerns, including the importance of the Zangezur Corridor, which would connect mainland Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
“They worked very effectively and also explained to Armenia that this peace was necessary for them as well,” Aliyev said.
Azerbaijan-US Relations Reach Strategic Partnership Level
Aliyev also said relations between Azerbaijan and the United States had risen to the level of a strategic partnership.
He referred to his meeting with Trump in Washington in August 2025, their talks in Davos in January 2026 and US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Azerbaijan.
“All these factors demonstrate that Azerbaijan-US relations are currently at their peak,” Aliyev said. “We have never achieved this level of relations before.”
The president said the two countries were working to implement all provisions of their strategic partnership declaration.
Aliyev also said the United States had removed all restrictions on arms supplies to Azerbaijan.
According to him, the United Kingdom and European Union member states had taken similar steps.
“I believe this reflects the overall spirit of our bilateral relations and shows the potential for further development,” Aliyev said.
AZE.US