Vice President JD Vance (L) and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (R) shake hands after signing copies of a Charter on Strategic Partnership between the U.S. and Azerbaijan during a document signing ceremony following their meeting at the Zagulba Presidential Residence in Baku on Feb. 10, 2026. Kevin Lamarque/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a strategic partnership agreement on Feb. 10, as President Donald Trump’s administration works to boost its influence in Central Asia.
At a press conference in the Azerbaijani capital city of Baku on Tuesday, Vance thanked Azerbaijan for its past military partnerships with the United States, and said Azerbaijani forces had proven themselves during the fighting in Afghanistan as “some of the toughest and fiercest troops anywhere in the world.”
