Slovak President Peter Pellegrini visited Shusha today and met with President Ilham Aliyev.
Peter Pellegrini became the next foreign head of state to visit the historical center of Karabakh.
Shusha, the historical capital of Karabakh, has become one of Azerbaijan's important international meeting places in recent years. In addition to restoration and reconstruction work after the 2020 Patriotic War, the city has also hosted high-level diplomatic events. The visits of presidents of various countries to Shusha have been marked by important events in the development of relations between Azerbaijan and those states.
The first foreign head of state to visit Shusha was Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. During the historic visit on June 15, 2021, Erdoğan met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The most important result of the meeting was the signing of the Shusha Declaration, which formalized the alliance relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey. The leaders also visited the historical sites of Shusha and focused on issues related to the future development and restoration of the city.
In 2023, Shusha hosted another foreign leader. On August 23, 2023, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the city. During the meetings held together with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries were discussed. During the visit, historical monuments of Shusha, ongoing restoration work and examples of cultural heritage were introduced.
In March 2024, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Shusha. The visit on March 12 was evaluated as an indicator of the Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan strategic partnership. The presidents visited the historical places of Shusha and got acquainted with the projects implemented in the city. The visit was important in terms of further strengthening political, economic and cultural ties between the two countries.
In July of the same year, Shusha hosted a larger international event. On July 6, 2024, an informal Summit of the Organization of Turkic States was held in Shusha. Representatives of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and other Turkic states participated in the meeting. The summit was remembered for expanding cooperation in the Turkic world and discussing joint projects.
The next head of state to visit Shusha in 2025 was President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. During the visit on September 16, 2025, meetings were held with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The leaders exchanged views on the development of Azerbaijan-UAE relations, economic cooperation and regional issues. The meeting in Shusha demonstrated that relations between the two countries have entered a new stage.
Thus, since 2021, Shusha has become an important diplomatic venue hosting leaders from countries such as Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates. These meetings held in the city show that Shusha is not only the cultural cradle of Azerbaijan, but also an important address for international political dialogue.
Nicat Rustamzade
