BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. The Center for Social Research conducted a survey to gauge public opinion on the meeting between President Ilham Aliyev and the Prime Minister of Armenia, mediated by U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as on the signed declarations and the issue of strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and the United States, Trend reports.
The survey results showed that these developments were largely viewed by the public as positive and strategically important steps.
The findings revealed that the vast majority of respondents were aware of the meeting. Specifically, 87.3% said they knew about the talks between President Ilham Aliyev and the Armenian Prime Minister mediated by President Donald Trump. Of these, 65.2% said they were well informed, while 22.1% said they were partially informed. Only 12.7% of respondents indicated they had no knowledge of the event.
Most respondents — 77.2% — described the meeting and the joint declaration signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia under U.S. mediation as a highly successful diplomatic step. Another 18.5% considered it a moderate success, while only 3.5% said it did not meet expectations. Just 0.8% found it difficult to answer. Overall, the survey results indicated broad public support for the meeting and the signed documents.
The results also showed that the public regarded the meeting as a positive diplomatic move that boosted optimism about the future of Azerbaijan-Armenia relations. In fact, 89.3% of respondents believed that U.S. mediation would lead to progress between the two countries. Within this group, 61.1% expected significant progress, while 28.2% anticipated partial progress. Meanwhile, 4.6% did not expect any change, 3.8% feared negative consequences, and 2.4% refrained from giving an opinion. The results overall reflect strong trust in U.S. mediation as a path to advancing Azerbaijan-Armenia relations.
The survey also identified public views on the key areas of success and priorities stemming from the meeting, both political and economic. Among the most frequently highlighted outcomes were: the creation of new economic and transport opportunities (90.4%), strengthened personal relations between President Ilham Aliyev and President Donald Trump (90.1%), achieving lasting peace in the region (89.3%), and securing unhindered connections between mainland Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan (89.3%). Other priorities included the development of the Azerbaijan–U.S. strategic partnership (83.9%), normalization of Azerbaijan–Armenia relations (82.0%), and the beginning of a new political era in the South Caucasus (78.0%).
A striking 96.3% of respondents agreed with the statement “President Ilham Aliyev won the war, and now he has won peace,” while 3.2% disagreed and 0.5% did not express an opinion.
In addition, 85.0% viewed the Washington summit as a direct outcome of victory in the Patriotic War. Overall, 95.2% of respondents interpreted the meeting’s results as a historic milestone connecting Nakhchivan with mainland Azerbaijan.
When asked about U.S. influence, 80.7% agreed that Washington’s role in the South Caucasus had grown. The majority of the public saw the Washington summit primarily as President Ilham Aliyev’s success (76.4%). Some 41.2% also considered it a success for President Donald Trump, while Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was noted by only 5.1% of respondents. Additionally, 18.0% described the summit as a natural outcome of ongoing regional processes, 1.3% gave other answers, and 3.2% found it difficult to respond.
The survey confirmed strong public support for President Ilham Aliyev’s peace diplomacy, which is perceived as purposeful and aligned with national interests. Overall, 92.8% of respondents rated this policy highly — 66.8% as very high, 26.0% as high, 5.4% as average, and only 1.6% as low.
A majority (57.1%) considered strategic partnership with the United States essential to Azerbaijan’s national interests under any circumstances. Another 32.2% agreed it was important but stressed the need to balance it with strong relations with regional countries. Only 6.2% said strategic partnership with the U.S. was not important, while 4.6% did not give an opinion.
When asked which countries hold decisive influence in the South Caucasus, respondents most frequently named Azerbaijan (74.8%) and Türkiye (64.6%), followed by the U.S. (44.0%), Russia (19.6%), China (13.4%), Iran (5.1%), and Armenia (1.1%). Another 1.9% named other countries, 2.4% said no country had decisive influence, and 2.7% did not respond.
Methodology
The study was carried out using quantitative methodology between
August 9–14, 2025, with 1,100 respondents aged 18 and older. The
survey was conducted through computer-assisted telephone interviews
(CATI). The sample was determined using a probabilistic method
proportionate to the population distribution across the country,
with gender balance maintained. A total of 12 economic regions were
covered. Participation was voluntary and anonymous, and respondents
were informed that the results would be used for research purposes.
Based on the sample size, the margin of error was ±3% at a 95%
confidence level.