President Ilham Aliyev’s vision of new world order

The contemporary system of international relations is undergoing a fundamental transformation. At a time when traditional security mechanisms are losing their effectiveness and what is often described as a “new world order” is beginning to take shape, the foreign policy strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan has entered a qualitatively new and decisive phase.

In recent years, the Munich Security Conference, which has set the pace of the global political agenda, has played an important role in projecting national interests to an international audience. In practical terms, it has become a principal diplomatic platform for reinforcing the international legal legitimacy of national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for advancing projects that shape the region’s geo-economic future.

President Ilham Aliyev’s participation in the conference in 2024, 2025, and 2026, together with the messages he delivered and the bilateral meetings he held, has brought Azerbaijan to the forefront as a state engaged in shaping strategic decisions at the global level. Above all, it has solidified the country’s position as an indispensable partner in ensuring the security of major energy and transport hubs.

A review of the past three years shows that Azerbaijan’s activism on the Munich platform has been closely tied to efforts to address gaps in the global security architecture and to develop new formats of partnership. In 2024, against the backdrop of the conference’s 60th anniversary, discussions largely focused on overcoming what many described as a “lose-lose” dynamic in world affairs and on reforming international institutions in light of ongoing global tensions.

During this period, Azerbaijan pursued an assertive diplomatic course aimed at securing international recognition of the new realities that emerged after the full resolution of the Karabakh conflict and at advancing a post-conflict reconstruction agenda on the global stage.

The 2025 Munich Conference, held on 14–16 February, was marked by what could be described as Azerbaijan’s “Balkan push” in energy diplomacy. During this period, relations with Serbia and other Central European countries were elevated to the level of strategic partnership. Discussions held on the sidelines of the conference positioned Azerbaijan as a direct investor in Europe’s energy infrastructure and as a technological partner within the continent’s energy sector.

The 2026 Munich Security Conference can be regarded as one of the high points of Azerbaijan’s growing international standing. The event, held from 13 to 15 February, featured President Ilham Aliyev as a keynote speaker in several high-level panel discussions, including the session titled “Open Corridor Policy? Deepening Trans-Caspian Cooperation.” According to international political observers, this period was defined by two major developments: the signing of the Strategic Partnership Charter between Azerbaijan and the United States, and the emergence of a de facto peace with Armenia. The presentation of the U.S.–Azerbaijan Strategic Charter and the TRIPP project formed part of this broader diplomatic context.

President Ilham Aliyev’s diplomatic marathon in Munich included an extensive series of meetings with fellow heads of state as well as leading figures from the global economy.

In his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the focus was on Azerbaijan’s energy assistance to Ukraine, including the supply of generators and transformers, along with continued diplomatic support. Security concerns were also discussed in light of attacks targeting the Azerbaijani embassy.

Subsequently, Azerbaijan and Serbia reached an agreement to establish a Strategic Partnership Council between the two countries and to construct a 500-megawatt gas-turbine power plant near the city of Niš. The project is regarded as one of Azerbaijan’s largest investments within Europe.

Cooperation in the defense industry has also carried particular weight, including discussions surrounding Azerbaijan’s acquisition of a mortar system from Slovakia.

Prospects for collaboration in attracting investment, advancing artificial intelligence, and developing digital infrastructure were discussed with major global corporations, including Goldman Sachs and Oracle.

At the core of Azerbaijan’s messaging in Munich was the peace process with Armenia. President Ilham Aliyev stated clearly before the international community that peace has already been established in practice in the region. However, he stressed that its formal legal completion requires concrete steps from the Armenian side.

In August 2025, a summit held in Washington under the mediation of U.S. President Donald Trump marked a decisive turning point in the peace process. During the meeting, the parties initialed the text of a peace agreement and signed a Joint Declaration that minimized the risk of any resumption of military operations.

In his Munich address, President Aliyev emphasized that over the past six months there had been no gunfire along the border and no recorded casualties. This, he noted, stands as the clearest evidence of de facto peace in the region. However, he stressed that for peace to be formally codified in a legal document, provisions in the Armenian Constitution that challenge Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity must be removed. Azerbaijan views this requirement as an international legal guarantee aimed at preventing future attempts at revanchism.

A central component of the Washington agreements is the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project, a transport artery connecting mainland Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. This initiative represents a new model of regional integration. In Munich, President Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan has already unilaterally lifted all restrictions on cargo transit through Armenia and has begun supplying petroleum products.

In February, the visit of U.S. Vice President James David (JD) Vance to Baku, along with the signing of the Strategic Partnership Charter, was seen as a transformative moment in bilateral relations. The Charter, signed by JD Vans and President Ilham Aliyev, elevates the partnership beyond energy cooperation, extending it into the areas of security and technology.

The agreement envisions major initiatives and cooperation in defense, advanced technologies and artificial intelligence, critical minerals, and the energy sector.

Vance’s statement that the previous U.S. administration’s “misguided policy toward Azerbaijan” has been corrected also signals that Washington now regards Azerbaijan as a regional security pillar.

Azerbaijan’s role in European energy security has shifted from being measured primarily in quantitative terms to reflecting a qualitative impact. The Munich conferences have further demonstrated that the country positions itself as a hub for both green energy and technological innovation.

In Munich, President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the importance of the Digital Silk Road project, carried out in partnership with Central Asian countries. A fiber-optic cable running along the Caspian Sea floor will position Azerbaijan as a key data transit hub between Europe and Asia. In addition to transport corridors, the project ensures that major information routes also pass through Azerbaijan.

One of the key topics at Munich 2026 was the tangible results stemming from Azerbaijan’s investments in physical infrastructure. The figures highlighted in the President’s address illustrated the rapid expansion of the country’s transport capacity.

Between 2024 and 2025, container traffic exceeded 100,000 TEUs, with a target of reaching 500,000 TEUs in the period following 2026. Within Azerbaijan, 600 kilometers of new railway have been constructed, and the next phase prioritizes the full integration of the railway network. As an alternative route, the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan corridor has been activated, with the strategic goal of fully connecting it to the Middle Corridor in the future. Existing seaport infrastructure remains operational, and from 2026 onward, expansion investments are planned to increase port capacity.

Azerbaijan’s successes on the Munich platform are closely linked to its leadership in global forums. Its effective leadership of the Non-Aligned Movement and the hosting of major events like COP29 in Baku have positioned the country as a key center of global diplomacy. By chairing the Non-Aligned Movement, Azerbaijan has transformed the organization into a tangible force in international relations. Baku has also established itself as an effective mediator between the Global South and the West. The prominence of topics such as climate security and resource restoration in the Munich discussions reinforces Azerbaijan’s ambitions in the green energy transition, as demonstrated by COP29.

Growing cooperation within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States has also positioned Azerbaijan as a central logistics hub within a larger economic bloc of the Turkic world.

The Munich Security Conferences from 2024 to 2026 can be seen as the formal presentation of Azerbaijan’s new and stronger positions within the international system. The country’s foreign policy is grounded in pragmatic realism, consistently upholding the principles of national sovereignty and economic partnership.

The main trajectories for future development can be roughly outlined as follows: 

Legal consolidation of peace: Following constitutional reforms in Armenia, it is expected that a final peace agreement will be signed by the end of 2026, with the complete removal of regional blockades.

Implementation of transport corridors: The launch of the TRIPP project is expected to boost Azerbaijan’s transit revenues.

Strategic diversification.