US-Azerbaijan relations enter new chapter, says Vice President Vance

US Vice President James David Vance underscored the growing partnership between Azerbaijan and the United States during a joint press statement following his meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku.

“So we wanted to come today to show our appreciation for this friendship,” Vance said, Caliber.Az reports via state media.

Emphasizing the evolving relationship, he added, “New chapters are opening between Azerbaijan and the United States. And I think what will be a stronger and even better relationship under President Trump’s leadership and under President Aliyev’s leadership.”

Vance also highlighted concrete initiatives aimed at expanding economic and security cooperation. “We’re going to ship some new boats to Azerbaijan to help you all with some of your territorial waters protection,” he said.

He stated that the TRIPP project is in progress, and this will build the kind of economic and natural resource and critical mineral cooperation that will make it possible to really advance this incredible peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

On building partnerships, the US vice president underlined: “This is the sort of thing that the President of the United States has committed our foreign policy to - why should we be fighting one another when we can engage in commerce with one another, when we can build partnerships with one another?”

He noted that this partnership will lead to greater peace and prosperity in the region and provide more access to more markets: “The core of the US President’s mission and foreign policy is this recognition that we can organize around shared interests and actually build something great with one another.”

Pointing to the peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Vance affirmed hope that the agreement will create prosperity in the future.

“We know that one of the great things that can prevent fighting and prevent wars from breaking out is when two peoples culturally exchange with one another, when they spend time working with one another, and of course, when they create great prosperity by working together, as opposed to fighting one another,”  Vance said.

Touching upon the steps taken toward peace, the Vice President added: “On the point of the peace agreement, I really do think that President Aliyev deserves a great amount of credit.”

Expressing his confidence that the realization of the peace agreement will create prosperity in the future and prevent conflict, James David Vance called this an amazing testament to President Aliyev's leadership.

By Vafa Guliyeva