New York, September 24, 2025
At the 6th Caspian Business Forum in New York, Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev underscored a dramatic shift in his country’s diplomatic message to Washington.
“Earlier, when visiting Washington, I always spoke about the Armenia–Azerbaijan conflict. Now I arrive in this capital with a completely new agenda,” Hajiyev said, speaking at the forum organized by the Caspian Policy Center.
He emphasized that the decades-long conflict is over. “We are extremely grateful to President Trump and his administration for taking on a leadership role and bringing this conflict to its final conclusion. Today, lasting peace prevails in the region,” he noted.
The event also carried a strong American signal. Caleb Orr, senior adviser to the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, described the broader Caspian region – including the South Caucasus and Central Asia – as a sensitive point of U.S. strategy.
“This is not a short-term but a long-term interest,” Orr said, Azertaj reports.
“The region represents an important strategic interest for the United States in terms of investment and development. The U.S. has invested in this region for decades, more than $30 billion over the past 30 years.”
Orr further highlighted the diplomatic breakthrough reached in Washington on August 8, when Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a historic peace agreement in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump.
“That agreement can bring real dividends for peace,” he stressed. “It will be very good for the region – and for the United States of America.”
