Azerbaijan's President Meets U.S. Assistant Secretary of State to Discuss Regional Peace and Cooperation

On June 28, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan held talks with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien, highlighting mutual commitments to regional peace and strategic cooperation.

According to Azerbaijan’s presidential website, James O’Brien expressed satisfaction with the recent telephone conversation between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Aliyev, emphasizing America’s dedication to advancing regional peace initiatives and its readiness to support these efforts. The discussions underscored the broad spectrum of Azerbaijan-U.S. relations and their strategic importance across various domains.

President Aliyev welcomed the productive dialogue with Secretary Blinken, noting longstanding and successful cooperation between Azerbaijan and the United States since Azerbaijan’s independence. The conversation also touched upon Azerbaijan’s role in enhancing Europe’s energy security, ongoing energy collaborations with the U.S., and constructive consultations between their delegations leading up to COP29, with continued U.S. support anticipated for the summit’s success.

According to , ahead of his visit, James O’Brien addressed the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Relations in Washington, outlining key priorities for his discussions with President Aliyev. Central to his remarks was the urgent need for peace establishment, stressing, “The time has come to establish peace,” emphasizing its pivotal role not only for Azerbaijan but for regional stability and Central Asian nations reliant on alternative export routes through Azerbaijan.

O’Brien underscored the significance of addressing human rights concerns, a recurrent theme in discussions between the U.S. and Azerbaijan. He highlighted Secretary Blinken’s recent engagement with President Aliyev on this issue and expressed intent to further these conversations.