Azerbaijan Official Says Trump-Mediated Peace Opens New U.S. Opportunities in South Caucasus

In an exclusive interview, Fuad Muradov, head of Azerbaijan’s State Committee on Work with Diaspora, said the historic peace agreement brokered by Donald Trump between Azerbaijan and Armenia has ushered in a “new era” of U.S. opportunity in the South Caucasus. He linked the August White House summit, where leaders Ilham Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint declaration, to subsequent steps such as Vice President JD Vance’s February visit to Baku and the signing of a Strategic Partnership Charter covering energy, trade, AI and security.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent announcement of $201 million for the Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund and the launch of the TRIPP corridor were cited as concrete mechanisms to link Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenia. Muradov noted expanding trade, upcoming electricity-grid cooperation and more than $8 billion in commercial agreements, including new exploration contracts for ExxonMobil and Chevron.

He emphasized Azerbaijan’s position on the Middle Corridor, its role in European energy security, and its multicultural, secular identity as factors that make the region attractive to American businesses. Finally, he urged U.S. lawmakers to repeal Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, arguing the peace settlement renders the restriction obsolete.