I'm currently in Azerbaijan attending the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum, and one thing has become abundantly clear: the relationship between the United States and Azerbaijan is stronger today than at perhaps any point since the country regained its independence.

That is reflected not only in diplomacy, but in expanding strategic cooperation, growing economic ties, and a shared understanding that stability in the South Caucasus serves both nations.

For four years, the Biden administration got Azerbaijan wrong.

Instead of recognizing one of America's most strategically important partners in the South Caucasus, it too often allowed political disagreements and outdated thinking to dictate U.S. policy. The administration overlooked Azerbaijan's growing importance as a reliable security partner, a critical energy supplier, and an emerging economic and transportation hub connecting Europe and Central Asia.

President Trump is taking a different approach. He understands that American foreign policy should reward dependable partners and advance U.S. strategic interests, not cling to failed assumptions. That shift is already strengthening one of the most important bilateral relationships in a region that will only become more consequential in the years ahead.

Azerbaijan sits at one of the world's most important geopolitical crossroads, bordering Russia to the north and Iran to the south while connecting Europe with the South Caucasus and Central Asia. In an increasingly competitive world, geography matters, and so do reliable........

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