As leaders and senior officials from across Asia gather in Baku for the seventh summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Azerbaijan is using the occasion to demonstrate the growing importance of its diplomacy. The meetings surrounding the summit reflect Baku’s efforts to deepen partnerships, strengthen its position in Central Asia and establish itself as a platform for dialogue in a region shaped by competing geopolitical interests.

President Ilham Aliyev’s meetings with visiting leaders have provided a particularly clear illustration of this approach. His discussions with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Vietnamese Vice-President Vo Thi Anh Xuan, alongside engagement with other visiting delegations, underline the breadth of Azerbaijan’s diplomatic relationships. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and other senior representatives have also travelled to Baku for the summit.

The significance lies not simply in the number of dignitaries attending, but in the different interests they represent. Israel, China, Russia, India, Iran, Türkiye and the Central Asian states occupy distinct positions in the international system. So, a question may........

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