Azerbaijan’s rising influence From Washington breakthrough to Middle East Peace Summit

The invitation of Azerbaijan’s President, Ilham Aliyev, by the Presidents of the United States and Egypt to attend the Middle East Peace Summit clearly underscores the country’s growing international stature. Notably, Donald Trump—already engaging with President Aliyev outside the pre-planned programme and during official events—signals recognition of Aliyev as a key political leader on the global stage.

Recently, some have suggested that Azerbaijan’s rising international profile is solely the result of the August agreement mediated by Trump between Azerbaijan and Armenia. However, this view oversimplifies the broader trajectory of Azerbaijan’s diplomatic and political achievements.

Undoubtedly, this factor played a key role in strengthening Baku’s international authority; to deny it would be historically inaccurate. Yet let us be frank: did the August meeting in Washington happen spontaneously? Was it not the culmination of decades of strategic efforts by official Baku—often undertaken despite biased, anti-Azerbaijani stances and decisions by several leading world powers, including the previous U.S. administration under Biden?

It is worth recalling the insight of the renowned Danish-American journalist and photographer Jacob August Riis (late 19th – early 20th century):

"When nothing seems to help," he wrote, "I go and look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that last blow that did it, but all that had gone before."

Might that very August breakthrough in Washington have been the brilliant result of precisely such “strikes”—the long-term, persistent work of Azerbaijan in the political, economic, and military-diplomatic arenas? Moreover, carried out in strict accordance with the norms and principles of international law. These steps vividly demonstrated how consistently Baku implements the objectives set by the country’s leadership. To illustrate this, let us recall a few key points.

In his 1997 address on the occasion of the Day of Solidarity of Azerbaijanis Worldwide, the National Leader Heydar Aliyev emphasised that the Azerbaijani people have every reason to be proud of the state symbols of independent Azerbaijan, including the flag. He stressed that all of humanity should understand that the challenges faced by the nation were overcome through determination and the will for independence, for “the steadfastness and heroism of the Azerbaijani people are the most reliable guarantee of the life and development of our state.”

In 2001, at the First Congress of Azerbaijanis Worldwide, Heydar Aliyev expanded on this idea, emphasising that the state flag of Azerbaijan flies before the headquarters of all international organisations, and added that this flag will always fly over an independent Azerbaijan.

Seventeen years later, in 2018, President Ilham Aliyev stated at a military parade in Baku that the day would come when “the Azerbaijani flag raised on the lands that still remain under occupation will be delivered to Azadlig Square and will be demonstrated in a military parade.”

And it has been realised, hasn’t it? Indeed — with brilliance, grandeur, and unmatched splendour! Today, our tricolour flag flies across the entire territory of Azerbaijan.

In other words, for decades, the entire Azerbaijani people—regardless of nationality or religion—fulfilled the tasks set before them, each in their own place.

This is why the August success in Washington was forged through trials—by overcoming countless obstacles while adversaries tried with all their might to harm and weaken Azerbaijan.

But they did not succeed. The country gave a worthy response. In this context, the words of President Ilham Aliyev come to mind, when he noted that France “can live without us, we can live without France, neither they nor we will feel it. But this is the path, it is their choice and we still haven't done anything against them.” And now, twice in recent times, French President Emmanuel Macron has himself initiated conversations with our Head of State. This, undoubtedly, speaks for itself.

Let us reiterate: Azerbaijan’s international authority has been built through methodical, well-considered, grandmaster-level steps by official Baku, taken over decades. Systematically. Consistently. Exclusively in the interests of the Azerbaijani people and without harming third parties. It is precisely this path that led to the success of the “Washington August,” when our geographic neighbours accepted the peace agreement principles proposed by Baku.

This carefully charted course became the guiding path for President Ilham Aliyev’s participation in the Peace Summit, which brought together the leading actors of global geopolitics.