Baku, Washington discuss prospects for cooperation within Strategic Partnership Charter

Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov met with the US Chargé d’Affaires in Baku, Amy Carlon, Shahbazov wrote in a post on X.

#ABŞ-nin Azərbaycandakı müvəqqəti işlər vəkili Emi Karlon ilə Strateji Tərəfdaşlıq Xartiyası çərçivəsində #enerji layihələri və əməkdaşlıq perspektivləri, həmçinin Beynəlxalq Sülh və Rifah naminə Tramp Marşrutu (#TRIPP) təşəbbüsü ilə bağlı səmərəli müzakirələr apardıq. pic.twitter.com/gzjSHCahGR

— Parviz Shahbazov (@ParvizShahbazov) December 23, 2025

Shahbazov posted that the meeting included productive discussions on energy projects and prospects for cooperation under the Strategic Partnership Charter, as well as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), per Caliber.Az.

The framework for the Azerbaijan-US Strategic Partnership Charter originated from a Memorandum of Understanding signed during Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's visit to Washington in August 2025. This agreement created a Strategic Working Group responsible for drafting the full Charter within six months, with a focus on three main areas: regional connectivity encompassing energy, trade, and transit routes; economic investments, particularly in artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure; and security cooperation, including defense sales and counterterrorism efforts.

The Charter is intended to strengthen bilateral relations by building on long-standing energy collaboration, such as the Southern Gas Corridor and the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, while extending cooperation into new fields like green energy, electricity interconnectors, and broader regional initiatives. The Working Group's first full meeting took place online on December 19, 2025, where participants reported progress on the draft text.

TRIPP refers to the rebranded Zangezur Corridor, a multimodal transport link (railway, highway, pipelines, and cables) connecting mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave via a 43 km stretch through Armenia's Syunik Province. Brokered by the Trump administration as part of a broader Armenia-Azerbaijan peace framework in August 2025, the project grants US-linked consortia exclusive development and operational rights (reportedly for up to 99 years) while preserving Armenian sovereignty over the territory.

By Khagan Isayev