Baku: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev recently welcomed a U.S. delegation, as reported by APA. The delegation included notable U.S. political figures such as Markwayne Mullin, a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, and Jason Smith, Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means. Other members included Ronny Jackson, a Republican Representative from Texas, and Jimmy Panetta, a Democratic Representative from California and member of the House Committee on Ways and Means.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the delegates expressed their appreciation for President Aliyev’s hospitality and remarked on the impressive development they observed in Baku. They also extended their congratulations to President Aliyev on the progress made in Washington towards furthering the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
President Aliyev highlighted the historic nature of the agreements reached, attributing significant credit to U.S. President Donald Trump’s involvement. He emphasized Azerbaijan’s commitment to advancing the regional peace agenda and noted the establishment of trade relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Azerbaijani oil products are now being exported to Armenia, and wheat from Kazakhstan and Russia is being transported to Armenia through Azerbaijan. President Aliyev also expressed optimism about the TRIPP corridor’s potential to enhance regional transport connectivity.
The President criticized Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act as outdated in the context of current bilateral relations. He praised President Trump’s decision to suspend its enforcement and expressed hope for congressional efforts to abolish it entirely.
The meeting underscored the positive trajectory of Azerbaijan-U.S. bilateral relations, highlighting opportunities for expanded cooperation across various sectors including political, economic, energy, defense, education, and technology. The discussions also included exploring avenues for legislative collaboration between the two countries.