Azerbaijani president, US senator discuss Baku-Yerevan peace process PHOTO

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received U.S. Senator Steve Daines, chairman of the Europe and Regional Security Cooperation Subcommittee, on July 7 to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues.

During the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijani-US relations, based on cooperation and mutual trust, had developed successfully following the re-election of U.S. President Donald Trump and had reached the level of a strategic partnership, which he described as important for both countries and the wider region, Caliber.Az reports per state media. 

The Azerbaijani president recalled the visit to Azerbaijan by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and said the signing of the Charter on Strategic Partnership between the governments of Azerbaijan and the United States during that visit was significant. The Azerbaijani leader also noted the high level of his personal relationship with Trump and highlighted the U.S. president's role in advancing the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

President Aliyev said historic developments had taken place since Daines's previous visit to Azerbaijan and thanked the senator for his efforts to strengthen Azerbaijani-US relations.

For his part, Daines said Azerbaijani-US relations had developed successfully and described President Aliyev's visit to Washington last August as a landmark event. He also highlighted Azerbaijan's geopolitical role under President Aliyev's leadership and thanked the Azerbaijani president for his leadership in normalising relations with Armenia and advancing the peace agenda.

The two sides also emphasised the importance of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) for strengthening regional transport connectivity and exchanged views on expanding dialogue between Azerbaijan and the U.S. Senate, as well as prospects for further developing the bilateral partnership.