BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 13. The latest C5+1 summit, held on November 6, 2025, in Washington, was a major turning point in the geopolitical history of the region, the political scientist Azer Garayev told Trend.
He noted that this platform, which previously had a more diplomatic character, has now acquired real economic and strategic content and brought new dynamics to US policy in Central Asia.
"The summit with the participation of President Donald Trump testifies both to Washington's serious return to the region and to the fact that this return is based on specific economic priorities. The political philosophy of the Trump administration, unlike previous administrations, focuses on using the economy and business tools as the basis for foreign policy. As former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza noted, Washington already views the C5+1 platform not simply as a tool for political dialogue, but as a means of ensuring strategic partnership and stability. In this way, the US intends to integrate the energy and logistics potential of Central Asia into the global economic system," he said.
Garayev noted that the economic agenda of the new US administration, in particular, the publication of a list of strategic minerals, indicates that there are specific plans in this direction. " 15 of the 60 strategic minerals important to the US are rare earth elements, and without them, the development of modern military, technological, and green energy sectors is impossible. The natural targets of this policy are the rich resource bases of countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The agreements signed at the summit are a real manifestation of US economic diplomacy. The multi-billion dollar tungsten project between Tau-Ken Samruk and Cove Capital, Uzbekistan's plan to invest $100 billion in the US economy over the next ten years, all point to a new stage of economic integration in the region. This flow of investment includes not only resource extraction, but also infrastructure, IT, and alternative energy sources. The US interest here is focused not only on the export of raw materials, but also on the formation of a value chain," he said.
The political scientist noted that the transit and transportation of these resources are no less important than the region's resource potential. "It is at this stage that Azerbaijan's role comes to the fore. Azerbaijan, which offers a reliable, stable, and secure transit route for the US and Europe, has effectively transformed the C5+1 platform into a C6+1 format. As Richard Hoglund, head of the Caspian Policy Center, said, Azerbaijan has already become an integral part of this format. It is in this context that the TRIPP (The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity) project, announced on the initiative of President Donald Trump, brings Azerbaijan's transit capabilities to the global level. This project, as a new, modern infrastructure artery of the Middle Corridor stretching from East to West, will strengthen the geo-economic integration of the Central Asia and Caucasus region," he said.
The political scientist noted that this not only increases Azerbaijan's transit potential, but also provides Central Asia with access to Europe. Azerbaijan's transport infrastructure—the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, nine international airports, the largest merchant fleet on the Caspian Sea, and a renovated port complex—has turned the country into the region's main logistics hub. This has led to an almost 90 percent increase in traffic volume along the Middle Corridor and has attracted even more attention from power centers such as the US. For the US, Azerbaijan is both a bastion of stability in the South Caucasus and a strategic “window” to Central Asia. Recognizing this reality, Washington seeks to expand ties with Azerbaijan not only in the energy sector but also in logistics, the digital economy, and security. In the words of former US Ambassador John Herbst, the Middle Corridor is not only an economic but also a strategic project, and the US is ready to support its implementation, he said.
According to the political scientist, as a result, the Central Asian region has become an arena for geo-economic competition between powers.
China is expanding its access to the region through the Belt and Road Initiative, Russia through the Eurasian Union, and the European Union through the Global Gateway program. The US is restoring its geo-economic role in this process through the C5+1 platform and the TRIPP project. Azerbaijan is at the center of this new regional order. The balanced, multifaceted foreign policy pursued by President Ilham Aliyev has turned the country into a strategic “bridge” between East and West and North and South. In this context, Washington's return to the region marks the beginning of not only political but also geopolitical transformation. A new era of opportunities is dawning for Central Asia, and the key to these opportunities lies in Baku's hands," he said.