The influential Romanian newspaper Ultima Ora (Last Hour) published an article titled “Azerbaijan–USA: 2025 Has Led to a Strategic Realignment in the South Caucasus,” in which the author assessed the past year as the beginning of a qualitatively new stage in Azerbaijan–U.S. relations.
The article highlights 2025 as a pivotal year for strengthening ties between Baku and Washington, marked by intensified dialogue, broader cooperation based on mutual interests, and new regional approaches. According to the publication, these ongoing changes affect not only the development of bilateral relations but also the overall security and stability situation in the South Caucasus.
The publication also drew readers’ attention to Azerbaijan’s foreign policy and its regional impact, highlighting recent developments and Azerbaijan’s stated position regarding its independent policy and the Armenia–Azerbaijan normalization process. The article emphasizes that the ongoing peace and normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, including discussions on opening communications, is shaping new regional economic and political realities. Against the backdrop of these processes, the U.S. approach to the South Caucasus is also evolving, the publication notes.
Azerbaijan is described as one of the key players in ensuring regional stability, with new opportunities emerging for cooperation between Washington and Baku in areas such as energy security, transport and logistics, digital transformation, and investment.
The article argues that Section 907 of the U.S. Freedom Support Act is outdated and contradictory, particularly in light of changes brought about by ongoing peace efforts and dialogue, which have altered the situation previously described as a “blockade.”
The publication concludes that the strategic realignment of Azerbaijan–U.S. relations in 2025 has had a significant impact on the South Caucasus by altering power dynamics, boosting regional integration, and advancing the peace agenda. The continuation of this trend, it notes, will be one of the key factors shaping the future development trajectory of the region.
Igbal Haciyev
Special correspondent
