Hikmat Hajiyev: Azerbaijan–US relations could reach strategic partnership level

Azerbaijan’s relations with the United States could be elevated to the level of a strategic partnership, Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, said during a panel discussion titled "The Middle Corridor: A New Geopolitical and Economic Lifeline?" at GLOBSEC 2025.

According to Report, Hajiyev noted a mutual desire to develop ties with the current US administration. "With the current US administration, we see a great opportunity to take bilateral relations to a completely new level and believe these ties could even reach the point of a strategic partnership. Unfortunately, our interaction with the [former US President Joe] Biden administration did not work out, and we did not see any demonstration of a strategic regional position from them. However, with the current administration, we see mutual willingness to cooperate," Hajiyev said.

He also emphasized that during Donald Trump's first presidency, his involvement ensured the success of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).

"His involvement and political focus turned this project into reality, and we are very grateful to him for that. TAP currently makes an effective contribution to Europe's energy security. As President Ilham Aliyev noted, Azerbaijan exports its natural gas to 12 countries, 10 of which are European states. We look forward to further expanding the geography of our relations," Hajiyev added.