BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 24. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev's visit to Davos once again demonstrated the country's crucial role on the global agenda, political analyst Azer Garayev told Trend.
According to him, the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum held in Davos this January was not only another international platform for Azerbaijan, but also an important milestone in terms of demonstrating the new foreign policy line that the country has formed in recent years. The visit was remembered for a number of important messages in both political, economic and geopolitical contexts. Within the framework of this visit, President Ilham Aliyev's meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, the signing of the Board of Peace Charter, his speech at the panel session titled "Defining Eurasia's Economic Identity" and his interview with Euronews TV clearly revealed Azerbaijan's position in the new global realities.
"The World Economic Forum has been considered one of the main discussion platforms of the global political and economic elite for many years. The opinions expressed there, the documents signed and the meetings held directly affect not only the image of countries, but also future geopolitical and geoeconomic processes. The Davos meeting took place in 2026, at a time when the international system is entering a period of transformation. As President Ilham Aliyev emphasized in an interview with Euronews, today, international relations are entering a new era, where it is not the rule of law, but the rule of strength that is controlling the situation. Against the background of this reality, Azerbaijan openly declares that it bases its strategy on national interests, sovereignty and regional stability. The discussions held in Davos have also become a demonstration of the practical results of this approach," he said.
According to the analyst, one of the main political events of the visit was the signing of the Board of Peace Charter in Davos. The goal of this organization, established under the chairmanship of the U.S. President, is to resolve conflicts in the Middle East and the world in general, and to institutionalize peace processes. Azerbaijan's invitation to this organization as a founding member demonstrates that the country is now playing an active role not only in regional but also in global peace initiatives.
"The signing of this document by President Ilham Aliyev together with other heads of state and government officials can be assessed as a symbolic step that elevates Azerbaijan's image from the status of a 'country which experienced conflict' to the status of a 'peace-making actor', especially considering that Azerbaijan itself is a country that had emerged from more than 30 years of war and today is already acting as a state that is experiencing the real benefits of peace.
One of the most striking moments of the Davos visit was the meeting of President Ilham Aliyev with U.S. President Donald Trump. During the meeting, the parties expressed their satisfaction with the development of U.S.-Azerbaijani relations in various fields, and special emphasis was placed on Donald Trump's role in the agreements reached between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Washington last August. This meeting actually revealed two important political lines. First, Azerbaijan-U.S. relations are entering a new strategic phase. As President Ilham Aliyev also noted, Azerbaijan is discussing a Strategic Partnership Charter with the U.S. Second, the U.S. is already acting as one of the main global actors in the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In this context, the TRIPP project was also particularly emphasized. These projects are not limited by regional transport routes, but are also presented as one of the main pillars in the formation of a new geoeconomic map of Eurasia," the analyst said.
Garayev noted that the main line in all of President Ilham Aliyev's speeches and interviews in Davos was the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace. This is no longer just diplomatic rhetoric, but is presented as a process accompanied by concrete economic and political realities.
"At the panel titled 'Defining Eurasia's Economic Identity ', President Ilham Aliyev openly stated that there is already de facto peace in the region, and the first real results of this peace are reflected in economic cooperation. The export of oil products from Azerbaijan to Armenia, the delivery of imported grain to Armenia through Azerbaijan, the transportation of goods through the territory of Georgia, and the opening of direct corridors in the future are concrete indicators of this process. One of the most notable moments was the statement of Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan. He openly admitted that people in Armenia are already filling their cars with Azerbaijani gasoline, and this is a reality that could not have been imagined a few years ago. This fact proves that peace is manifested not only in political documents, but also at the level of everyday life," the analyst explained.
He underscored that one of the main topics of the Davos discussions was the future role of Eurasia. In this context, President Ilham Aliyev presented Azerbaijan's geographical position as a strategic advantage. New transport corridors stretching from the Caspian Sea to Türkiye and from there to Europe - in particular, the TRIPP project - are turning the region into one of the main nodes of the global trade system.
"Azerbaijan has already removed all restrictions on the transportation of goods from Kazakhstan and Russia to Armenia. This shows that Azerbaijan has become not only an energy center, but also a logistics and transit center. This situation reflects the main feature of a new stage in Azerbaijan's foreign policy: the country presents itself as a global connectivity center. In President Ilham Aliyev's interview with Euronews, the energy issue also held a special place. He noted that Azerbaijan already supplies natural gas to 16 countries, and 10 of them are members of the European Union. Azerbaijan is number one in the world by the geographical coverage of the supply of pipeline gas. This fact shows that Azerbaijan has become one of the main players in European energy security. The fact that Armenia is also importing excess energy resources from Azerbaijan indicates that a new model of economic dependence is being formed in the region: not security built on conflict, but stability based on mutual economic interests. The views expressed by President Ilham Aliyev regarding the European Parliament were also noteworthy. 'We do not react' - this sentence is a symbol of a new stage in Azerbaijan's relations with European structures. The country presents itself not as a constantly defensive party, but as an actor pursuing an independent policy and not reacting emotionally to external criticism. According to the head of state, the biased position of the European Parliament is generated by special lobby groups, and these criticisms are absurd, while Armenia itself appreciates the relationship with Azerbaijan," he said.
Garayev pointed out that President Ilham Aliyev's visit to Davos showed that Azerbaijan is no longer a subject of regional conflicts, but an actor promoting peace, shaping economic and transport links, and influencing the global agenda.
"The normalization of relations with Armenia, the deepening of the strategic partnership with the U.S., and the formation of new corridors in Eurasia indicate that Azerbaijan will become one of the main political and economic centers of the region in the coming years. In this regard, the Davos visit was a symbolic and real confirmation of Azerbaijan's new status in the international system - a state model that creates peace and acts as a coordinating force," the analyst added.