BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 5. On November 6,
Washington will host the Central Asia-U.S. summit. On paper, it is
about partnership and security. In reality, this is a new chapter
in Eurasian geopolitics – one in which Azerbaijan has become the
crucial link, without which the very idea of integrating Central
Asia with the outside world would lose its meaning.
Just ten years ago, the C5+1 format was mostly a consultative
platform, where Washington discussed Afghanistan with Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan, and their neighbors. Today, the situation is entirely
different. Central Asia has become a strategic hub, and the key to
it lies in Baku. Azerbaijan has turned the region’s geographic
isolation into an economic advantage, connecting it with Europe,
the Middle East, and global markets.
President Ilham Aliyev has converted military victories into
unprecedented economic opportunities for the wider South Caucasus
and Central Asia. Consider this: Azerbaijan and Armenia went to
war, Azerbaijan emerged victorious, and immediately extended a hand
to its defeated neighbor. Azerbaijan initiated and drove forward
peace negotiations, proposed transit and economic projects, and
demonstrated just how mutually beneficial they could be. Thanks to
President Ilham Aliyev’s strategy, Azerbaijan has become a
transport, energy, and political bridge between East and West – a
bridge that has now become indispensable, from Brussels to
Washington.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, once a
technical term, has become a symbol of a new era. Cargo from China
and Kazakhstan flows through Baku and its ports to Europe; trains
along the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway are replacing the old northern
routes. Azerbaijan has invested billions in ports, logistics hubs,
and digital platforms. But above all, it has invested trust. The
world knows: if something goes through Azerbaijan, it will get
there.
When Central Asian leaders meet in Washington to discuss
investments, energy, and critical minerals, one simple truth
remains behind the scenes: none of these projects can work without
Azerbaijan. Without Baku, there is no transit; without the Caspian,
no route; without President Ilham Aliyev’s political will, no
stability.
President Ilham Aliyev has made his country a player on the
global stage. Through his leadership, Azerbaijan is no longer just
a transit corridor – it’s where a new logic of international
relations is taking shape, bringing together the interests of
Europe, Asia, and the U.S.
For Washington, this is a window into a region where it can
engage without direct confrontation with other powers. For Central
Asia, it’s a chance to escape the ‘continental dead end’. And all
of this has been made possible by the opportunities created by
Azerbaijan.
As agreements are prepared and investment plans discussed in
Washington, one word keeps coming up behind the scenes:
“Azerbaijan” – the country that has reshaped the Eurasian
landscape. Perhaps that is why the second C5+1 summit will be more
than just another initiative; it’s a natural continuation of
President Ilham Aliyev’s pragmatic policy – a policy that moves
from stability to development, from regional focus to global
relevance.
