At the invitation of the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, is on a working visit to the country to participate in the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, which will be held today in Washington.
According to APA, on February 18, the Head of State met in Washington with the Executive Director of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Elliot Brandt, and other members of AIPAC’s senior leadership. During the conversation, the visit of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee delegation to our country and their meetings with the Head of State were recalled with satisfaction
The role of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in deepening bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and the United States, as well as between Azerbaijan and Israel, was emphasized.
The meeting on February 19 will also be attended by the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, and the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.
Southeast Asia will be represented by the President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, and the leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam, To Lam. Pakistan will be the sole country representing South Asia, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in attendance.
The meeting will also be attended by the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, in an observer capacity for the EU. Furthermore, Italy, Cyprus, Greece, and Romania will also dispatch observers.
Pope Leo XIV declined the invitation to join the Board, noting that crisis situations across the globe should be resolved within the United Nations.
In total, the United States extended invitations to join the Board of Peace to 50 countries, of which 35 expressed interest. Meanwhile, a total of 26 have officially joined the organization as founding members, and at least 14 have declined the proposal.
Many have criticized the Board, noting that the American President seeks to replace the UN. It was initially assumed that the Board of Peace would focus exclusively on resolving the situation in the Gaza Strip; however, following the publication of the organization's charter, it became clear that the Board is prepared to engage in conflict resolution worldwide. Trump himself stated that the "Board of Peace will become the most significant international organization in history." Furthermore, the President emphasized that the organization intends to "present its bold vision to the civilians in Gaza and later, ultimately, far beyond Gaza — peace to the whole world!"
The creation of the Board of Peace was a component of the plan proposed by Trump to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Its formation was announced in January 2026. The founding ceremony of the Board of Peace took place on January 22 in Davos, Switzerland, as part of the World Economic Forum.
Previously, on February 10, 2026, in Baku, Azerbaijan and the United States officially signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement following a high-level visit, during which a meeting was held between President Ilham Aliyev and U.S. Vice President JD Vance. The ceremony, held at the Presidential Palace, was preceded by several hours of bilateral and expanded negotiations on regional security, energy, technological cooperation, and long-term economic prospects.
From the very beginning of the negotiations, both sides expressed a clear desire to build their relationship on a sustainable and institutional basis. The agreement provides for the establishment of a regular strategic dialogue between the respective ministries, featuring specialized monitoring mechanisms. In the sphere of security, discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in the protection of energy infrastructure, counter-terrorism, and regional stability in the South Caucasus.
In 2025, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the United States amounted to approximately $1.6 billion, accounting for 3.15% of the total foreign trade turnover of the Republic of Azerbaijan.