Washington: The meetings held in Washington in August 2025, one year ago, laid the foundation for a new stage in Azerbaijan-U.S. relations and were marked by significant developments in the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace agenda. On August 7, 2025, President Ilham Aliyev visited Washington at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump. During this visit, President Aliyev met with U.S. Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, where a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between SOCAR and ExxonMobil in their presence.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, on August 8, President Aliyev was received at the White House by President Trump, where they signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Strategic Working Group. This group was tasked with preparing a Charter on Strategic Partnership between Azerbaijan and the United States. During this visit, President Trump presented President Aliyev with the symbolic key to the White House, a gesture that underscored the strengthening ties between the two nations.
A significant outcome of the Washington meeting was the signing of an executive order by the U.S. president, waiving Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act concerning Azerbaijan. This waiver suspended restrictions that had been in place since 1992, marking a turning point in U.S.-Azerbaijan relations.
Additionally, an important meeting involving President Aliyev, President Trump, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took place. This meeting saw the initialing of the draft "Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia." A joint appeal was also signed, calling for the closure of the OSCE Minsk Process and related structures, further emphasizing the commitment to peace and cooperation in the region.
President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan signed a Joint Declaration in the presence of President Trump, highlighting the mutual benefits of ensuring connectivity between mainland Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and creating opportunities for Armenia.
Following the meetings, on August 8, President Aliyev gave an interview to Azerbaijani media in Washington, where he reflected on the outcomes of his discussions with President Trump and the significance of the strategic agreements reached.
One year later, the significance of the Washington meetings is evident in the continued progress in Azerbaijan-U.S. relations and the peace agenda in the South Caucasus. The signing of the Charter on Strategic Partnership between Azerbaijan and the United States on February 10, 2026, marked a continuation of the initiatives launched in Washington, demonstrating the lasting impact of these historic meetings.