“Peace is not just about signing treaties - it’s about communication, interaction and integration,” Sultan Zahidov, leading adviser at the AIR Center, told AnewZ, suggesting U.S. Vice President JD Vance's visit to the South Caucasus could advance the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Zahidov said the visit, scheduled to take place from 9 to 11 February, is expected to focus on regional connectivity, particularly the Zangazur corridor, which he described as a strategic infrastructure project with implications extending far beyond transport.
According to the expert, the corridor is not only vital for linking Azerbaijan with its exclave Nakhchivan and providing an alternative route to Türkiye, but also for fostering long-term regional stability.
He referenced political scientist Johan Galtung’s concept of “positive peace,” which emphasizes economic cooperation and open communication over the mere absence of conflict.
“To achieve positive peace you need open borders, joint economic projects and sustained interaction,” Zahidov said, adding that Azerbaijan has actively pursued this approach since restoring its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He noted that Azerbaijan is nearing completion of its railway infrastructure to the western border and expects reciprocal steps from Armenia.
“We are waiting for similar activity from the Armenian side,” Zahidov said.
Beyond connectivity, Zahidov said the talks are likely to cover a broad agenda, including the economy, investment, artificial intelligence, digital transformation and defence industry cooperation.
Zahidov also pointed to recent visits to Azerbaijan by representatives of the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Defense, during which President Ilham Aliyev reiterated Baku’s priorities under the Washington Declaration, signed on 8 August 2025.
Since the declaration was signed, Zahidov said Azerbaijan has sent four delegations to Washington to engage on energy, trade, investment and emerging technologies, particularly AI.
He described the upcoming meeting as historic, noting that it would mark the highest-level visit by a U.S. official to Azerbaijan since 2008, when then Vice President Dick Cheney visited Baku.
Trump says U.S. found “major points of agreement” with Iran and has paused strikes on Iranian power plants, but Tehran denies any direc...
In a metro station in downtown Tehran, pictures of Iranian school children alleged to have been killed by&...
Chinese researchers have announced a major breakthrough in lithium battery technology - a development that could significantly improve the per...
Turkish authorities on Sunday arrested a reporter for allegedly spreading false information, sparking small demonstrations by journalists and civil...
As Denmark gears up for a general election on 24 March, opinion polls show a narrow lead for Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, whose numbers have b...
In a metro station in downtown Tehran, pictures of Iranian school children alleged to have been killed by U.S.-Israel attacks are being displayed along the walls.
Turkish authorities on Sunday arrested a reporter for allegedly spreading false information, sparking small demonstrations by journalists and civil society groups in İstanbul and Ankara.
As conflict continues to unsettle the Middle East, airlines are being forced to make difficult, fast-moving decisions - redrawing flight paths and searching for safe skies. Amid this uncertainty, Azerbaijan has emerged as a crucial gateway linking Europe and Asia.
Four weeks into the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, military and civilian officials have strongly warned of immediate tit-for-tat attacks against U.S. targeting of its power plants in reaction to blocking of the strategic waterway of Strait of Horumz.
The pilot and co-pilot of an Air Canada Express regional jet were killed after it collided with a fire truck while landing at New York's LaGuardia airport late on Sunday, in an incident that closed the airport, authorities and U.S. media said.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned that American forces could target Iranian power plants if the strategic Strait of Hormuz remains closed, and Iran, in return, warned that any attack on its energy infrastructure would trigger strikes on regional facilities.
Trump says U.S. found “major points of agreement” with Iran and has paused strikes on Iranian power plants, but Tehran denies any direct talks or negotiations, contradicting U.S. claims - latest on Middle East conflict.
Iran has launched long-range and intermediate-range ballistic missiles towards the joint U.S.-UK military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, in what Israeli officials said was a major escalation in the war.
Georgia bid farewell to Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II on Sunday (22 March). He was considered one of the most influential spiritual leaders in the country’s modern history.
Turkish authorities on Sunday arrested a reporter for allegedly spreading false information, sparking small demonstrations by journalists and civil society groups in İstanbul and Ankara.
As conflict continues to unsettle the Middle East, airlines are being forced to make difficult, fast-moving decisions - redrawing flight paths and searching for safe skies. Amid this uncertainty, Azerbaijan has emerged as a crucial gateway linking Europe and Asia.
Four weeks into the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, military and civilian officials have strongly warned of immediate tit-for-tat attacks against U.S. targeting of its power plants in reaction to blocking of the strategic waterway of Strait of Horumz.
Israel said on Monday its own forces had misfired artillery that killed an Israeli farmer near the Lebanese frontier, the first Israeli civilian killed in a border conflict being waged in parallel with the war in Iran.
In a metro station in downtown Tehran, pictures of Iranian school children alleged to have been killed by U.S.-Israel attacks are being displayed along the walls.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment