Official: US eyes Azerbaijan as vital energy, security partner

Azerbaijan is emerging as a vital partner for the United States, playing a key role as an energy hub, transit corridor, and security ally in a strategically important region, Director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at the Hudson Institute, Michael Doran said.

Speaking at the “The US in the South Caucasus: Mapping New Strategic Opportunities” conference in Washington, the official highlighted Azerbaijan’s unique position amid competing global powers, Caliber.Az reports per local media. 

“The Trump administration understands that the South Caucasus is no longer a peripheral theater as far as American interests are. It is becoming a lynchpin in global geopolitics, a point where the interests of all the world's great powers intersect, sometimes converging, and sometimes clashing. Azerbaijan in particular stands out as a vital partner for the United States. It is the West's gateway to the region's vast resources and strategic pathways. Baku plays a unique role as an energy hub, a transit corridor, and a security ally positioned among Russia, Türkiye, and the Caspian Basin,” he noted..

He added that the recent White House meeting not only raised hopes for lasting peace in the region but also pointed to new opportunities that could reshape connectivity across Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

“The White House meeting signaled not only the possibility of lasting peace in the region but also the emergence of new opportunities for the United States; opportunities that could reshape connectivity across Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia,” Doran said.

By Sabina Mammadli