At the World Economic Forum’s “Defining Eurasia’s Economic Identity” panel on 20 January 2026, leaders from Azerbaijan, Armenia and Serbia discussed how the South Caucasus and wider Eurasian region can strengthen economic ties, peace and geopolitical stability amid shifting global influence.
Among the participants of the session were Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, Armenia’s President Vahagn Khachaturyan and Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić, alongside business and policy representatives.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev underscored the historic nature of the peace process with Armenia, describing the 2025 Joint Declaration signed in Washington as a landmark achievement that brought an end to more than three decades of conflict.
"It was a historical achievement last August when two countries initialed a peace agreement, thus putting an end to three decades plus of war and bloodshed," the Azerbaijani President said.
He stressed the uniqueness of the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace deal since it was signed less than in two years after the last clash.
President Aliyev highlighted that peace is beginning to translate into practical economic cooperation, with strategic cargo, including petroleum products, now moving from Azerbaijan to Armenia, and that Armenia has requested transit through Azerbaijan to Russia, signalling expanding trade links.
He also stressed the importance of national responsibility in global affairs.
“We should no longer rely on international institutions… However, I do not share… pessimistic views. Because if we bring the situation under control and take sufficient responsibility regarding our national interests, then the success of the peoples is possible.”
President Ilham Aliyev emphasised Azerbaijan’s political sovereignty and diversified partnerships, noting agreements with ten EU states, a comprehensive strategic partnership with China, and discussions on a strategic charter with the United States.
President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan also welcomed the normalisation progress, stressing that the current situation is unprecedented.
“Peace is not a normal situation for us… we are living in a situation we have not seen for more than 30 years," he said.
President Khachaturyan described existing cargo transport via Georgia as a symbol of evolving cooperation and said that direct transport links between Baku and Yerevan will help overcome problems that arose in the 1990s, enhancing regional economic integration.
He expressed confidence that, in the future, Armenia will be able to receive cargo from Azerbaijan directly via local railways.
Serbian President Vučić added that smaller states in Eurasia must work together to protect their sovereignty while building influence, calling Azerbaijan and Armenia “friendly countries” and advocating cooperation on innovation, AI and defence.
Panel discussions also touched on the strategic role of the South Caucasus as a bridge between Europe and Asia and the importance of transport connectivity and economic integration in shaping Eurasia’s identity in an increasingly multipolar world.
U.S. President Donald Trump joined the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt for a press briefing on Tuesday, as tensions with European allies ...
The European Union has proposed new restrictions on exports of drone and missile-related technology to Iran, while preparing additional sanctions in r...
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is set to attend Supreme Court oral arguments this week in a case examining whether President Donald Trump has the...
At the World Economic Forum’s “Defining Eurasia’s Economic Identity” panel on 20 January 2026, leaders from Azerbaijan, Armenia and Serbia dis...
The European Parliament has frozen the ratification of a trade agreement with the United States after fresh tariff threats from Donald Trump, escalati...
U.S. President Donald Trump joined the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt for a press briefing on Tuesday, as tensions with European allies deepened over his renewed claims on Greenland and fresh tariff threats.
The European Union has proposed new restrictions on exports of drone and missile-related technology to Iran, while preparing additional sanctions in response to what it described as Tehran’s ‘brutal suppression’ of protesters.
Russia’s liquefied natural gas transit through Azerbaijan is emerging as a strategically significant development for Armenia at a time of rising domestic pressure on energy supplies, according to political analyst Fuad Karimli.Speaking to AnewZ, Karimli said the issue has gained urgency as Armenia f
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is set to attend Supreme Court oral arguments this week in a case examining whether President Donald Trump has the authority to remove a sitting Federal Reserve governor.
Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani has died at the age of 93, his foundation said on Monday.
More than 100 vehicles were involved in a massive pileup on Interstate 96 in western Michigan on Monday (19 January), forcing the highway to shut in both directions amid severe winter weather.
The European Parliament has frozen the ratification of a trade agreement with the United States after fresh tariff threats from Donald Trump, escalating tensions between Washington and Brussels.
Five skiers were killed in a pair of avalanches in Austria’s western Alpine regions on Saturday, with two others injured, one critically.
A fresh consignment of precision-guided munitions has departed from the Indian city of Nagpur bound for Yerevan, marking the latest phase in the rapidly expanding defence partnership between India and Armenia.
On 20 January, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev gave an exclusive interview to Euronews during the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos, reflecting on Azerbaijan’s strategy in a changing global order and the country’s evolving role in the South Caucasus and global energy markets.
Afghanistan is confronting an escalating humanitarian emergency as freezing winter conditions, widespread food insecurity and sharp reductions in international aid leave millions struggling to survive, aid agencies have warned.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his country’s support for a ceasefire deal between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which calls for the latter’s integration into the Syrian state apparatus.
Several locally-developed instant messaging applications were reportedly restored in Iran on Tuesday (20 January), partially easing communications restrictions imposed after recent unrest.
The United Nations says Israeli crews have begun bulldozing the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) headquarters in east Jerusalem. The move comes amid increasing crackdowns on humanitarian groups.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment