US sees Azerbaijan as key partner in transforming South Caucasus— chargé d'Affaires

US-Azerbaijan cooperation is focused on transforming the South Caucasus into a connected region integrated with the global economy, serving as a bridge between East and West while fostering trade, economic growth, and energy security, US Chargé d'Affaires ad interim to Azerbaijan Amy Carlon said.

Speaking at a reception marking the 250th anniversary of US independence, Carlon said the foundation for this vision was established during the historic trilateral meeting held in Washington on August 8, 2025, involving the leaders of the United States, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

She said that, in the presence of US President Donald Trump and the international community, Baku and Yerevan had seized a unique opportunity to turn the page on decades of conflict and had committed themselves to building a future based not on confrontation, but on connectivity, cooperation, and prosperity.

Carlon noted that this vision is already taking shape through the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) initiative and the US-Azerbaijan Strategic Partnership.

The diplomat said the Charter on Strategic Partnership, signed in February by US Vice President JD Vance and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, rests on three key pillars: regional connectivity, economic investment and innovation, and security cooperation.

Highlighting future areas of collaboration, Carlon said Washington intends to deepen cooperation with Azerbaijan in energy, artificial intelligence, data centre development, and other advanced technologies.

"These are not plans for the distant future—we are implementing them today," she said.

The diplomat recalled that during Baku Energy Week and the US-Azerbaijan Economic Dialogue last month, American companies signed agreements worth more than $8 billion with Azerbaijani partners in advanced materials, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and other next-generation technologies.

According to Carlon, these investments, combined with the TRIPP initiative and expanded security cooperation, could place the South Caucasus on an irreversible path toward lasting peace.

She also emphasized the importance of people-to-people ties, noting that thousands of Azerbaijani citizens have participated in US exchange programs, studied at American universities, and worked with US institutions over the years.

Carlon concluded by saying that the United States had been among the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan's independence and had supported investment, dialogue, and diplomacy in the interest of peace and stability over the past 35 years, adding that it would continue working with Azerbaijan toward a more connected, prosperous, and secure future.

By Vafa Guliyeva