Washington’s stance toward Azerbaijan shifts after years of bias, says expert

While relations between Azerbaijan and the United States are presently robust, but they have not  always been so. The conflict in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region has, over a long and painful history, frequently been portrayed in a negative light in US discourse.

Paolo von Schirach became President of the US-based Global Policy Institute (GPI), told AZERTAC that for many years, Washington exhibited a dominant bias against Azerbaijan.

“Today, the situation is entirely different. Azerbaijan, largely through its own resources, has done everything necessary to fully restore control over its territory. This positive development has fostered a new atmosphere and perception in Washington. The fact that President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia visited Washington in August for a summit with President Donald Trump elevated bilateral relations to a very substantial level,” von Schirach noted.

Discussing the TRIPP project (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, Zangazur Corridor), he explained that the 40–50 kilometre road represents a critical link in a broader infrastructure network. The route could ultimately form part of a super-highway extending from Türkiye to the Adriatic Sea, potentially connecting Albania and Greece, and linking Armenia and Azerbaijan with Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and other countries via the Caspian Sea.

“In this way, it could become a super-highway connecting Europe with Central Asia and the Middle East, placing Azerbaijan at the centre of a new regional hub. This hub could be highly beneficial for peace, development, investment, and the expansion of trade, economic, and investment ties between East and West,” he emphasized.

Von Schirach added that following the White House summit with President Trump in August 2025, US-Azerbaijan relations are now moving in a distinctly positive direction. 

By Vafa Guliyeva