Diplomacy, dialogue, and a palpable sense of momentum converged in Baku this week as the Azerbaijani capital hosted the international think tank conference titled “C6: One Region, Shared Future – Enhancing Strategic Dialogue.” Organized by the Center for Analysis of International Relations (AIR), the event drew approximately 60 participants, including leading representatives from the C6 member countries’ most prominent think tanks. The gathering on February 18, 2026, was more than just a meeting of minds—it was a showcase of Azerbaijan’s growing role in regional cooperation and its increasingly visible position on the international stage.
Farid Shafiyev, the AIR Center’s Chairman of the Board, opened the conference with a message that resonated throughout the event. He highlighted Azerbaijan’s accession to the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia in November 2025 as a pivotal moment, describing it as “an important milestone in regional cooperation.” According to Report, this accession is seen as a step that could redefine the geopolitical landscape of the broader Central Asian region, opening doors to deeper collaboration across multiple sectors.
Following the official opening, the conference launched into a series of panel discussions that tackled some of the thorniest and most pressing issues facing the region. The first session, “From Dialogue to Sustainable Mechanisms: The Future of C6 Cooperation,” was particularly lively. Participants debated the need for more formal institutions to underpin C6 cooperation, while others argued for the effectiveness of flexible, less bureaucratic formats. The role of think tanks emerged as a central theme, with many emphasizing their capacity to institutionalize regional dialogue, coordinate positions on international platforms, and transform humanitarian cooperation into mechanisms that endure beyond political cycles.
Another session, “Connectivity and Development: The Economic Dimension of C6 Cooperation and Sustainable Development,” delved into the economic heartbeat of the region. Here, the conversation shifted to the Trans-Caspian region and the Middle Corridor—a vital East-West trade route. Panelists explored the synergies and competition inherent in these corridors, highlighting energy cooperation as a linchpin for future prosperity. Investment opportunities and the barriers that still exist, environmental challenges that threaten to undercut progress, and the ever-important task of trust-building were all on the table. The consensus? While challenges remain, the appetite for deeper economic integration is stronger than ever.
But Baku’s international focus this week was not limited to regional think tanks and economic corridors. In a parallel display of Azerbaijan’s diplomatic reach, Rabbi Zamir Isayev, the Sephardic chief rabbi of Azerbaijan, traveled to Israel as part of events marking the Knesset’s anniversary, which coincided with Tu Bishvat, the date of Israel’s first parliamentary sitting. According to participants in the meetings reported by Israeli media, Isayev’s visit was more than ceremonial. He met with former minister Yoav Ben-Tzur and lawmakers Moshe Gafni, Uri Maklev, Yosef Taieb, Avi Maoz, Yonatan Meshariki, and Moshe Abutbul—an impressive roster that underscores the depth of bilateral engagement.
During these meetings, Isayev emphasized that, from Baku’s perspective, relations with Israel are “viewed as a strategic asset and a long-term commitment.” Security, both for the Jewish community within Azerbaijan and for the broader region, was a recurring theme. Shared interests in addressing regional challenges, from energy to security, were front and center.
This diplomatic push comes on the heels of a high-profile meeting between Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2026. There, the leaders discussed expanding cooperation in economic, energy, and security-related fields—areas where the two countries’ interests increasingly align. The urgency of this partnership was underscored in late January when Azerbaijani security services announced they had thwarted an attempted attack on the Israeli Embassy in Baku, arresting three suspects. The incident drew public attention and highlighted the real-world stakes of the bilateral relationship.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s subsequent visit to Azerbaijan was marked by public statements on expanding cooperation—not just in security, but also in energy and tourism. Sa’ar’s remarks during his visit echoed Isayev’s sentiments about safety and openness for Jews in Azerbaijan. “Unlike in some European cities, where Israelis are increasingly cautious, in Baku it is possible to speak Hebrew openly and display Jewish symbols without fear,” Isayev noted. Sa’ar reinforced this, describing Azerbaijan as a destination “where Israelis can feel at home.”
These words are not mere diplomatic niceties. The numbers tell their own story. According to Azerbaijan’s tourism authorities, Israeli tourism to Azerbaijan skyrocketed in 2025, with 69,124 Israeli visitors—a staggering 139% increase compared to 2024. Israeli visitors spent 184 million shekels in Azerbaijan, an 81% rise from the previous year, making Israelis one of the top 10 nationalities visiting the country. To accommodate this surge, Azerbaijan Airlines and Israir have ramped up their flights on the Tel Aviv-Baku route, with plans to reach 21 to 28 weekly flights in the near future.
The warmth between Baku and Jerusalem is also mirrored in Azerbaijan’s outreach to Jewish communities in the United States. During his meetings in Israel, Isayev discussed engagement with American Jewish communities, noting their “full support for closer ties between Washington and Baku.” In late 2025, Isayev visited Washington as part of an Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation, meeting with Jewish community leaders to further cement these bonds. Knesset officials have described these efforts as part of a broader strategy to “maintain a stable channel with a regional partner that emphasizes religious tolerance and cooperation,” especially at a time when many relationships in the region are being reevaluated.
Back in Baku, the think tank conference and the diplomatic activity swirling around it have left a clear impression: Azerbaijan is determined to play a constructive, bridging role in regional and international affairs. Whether through economic corridors, energy partnerships, or its unique brand of religious tolerance, the country is making itself indispensable to a host of partners—east and west, north and south.
As the conference wrapped up, participants agreed that the path forward would require both vision and pragmatism. The need for formal institutions and sustainable mechanisms was clear, but so too was the value of flexibility and trust. In the words of one panelist, “We’re building something that has to last, not just for today, but for generations to come.” It’s a sentiment that seems to capture the spirit of Baku’s busy week—a city, and a country, intent on shaping its own future while opening doors for others.