US President Donald Trump has announced a breakthrough peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, marking what he called a “Historic Peace Summit” aimed at ending decades of hostilities between the two former Soviet republics. Trump revealed that he would host Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the White House for an official peace signing ceremony on Friday.
The two nations have a long history of conflict, having fought two wars over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Azerbaijan regained control of the region in a swift offensive in 2023, displacing more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians. Despite multiple rounds of negotiations, including a recent summit in the UAE, a lasting peace agreement remained elusive—until now, according to Trump.
“These two nations have been at war for many years, resulting in the deaths of thousands,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Many leaders have tried to end the war, with no success, until now, thanks to ‘TRUMP.’ My administration has been engaged with both sides for quite some time.”
Trump expressed pride in the efforts of both leaders, describing their willingness to sign the agreement as a courageous move. The deal also opens the door for economic cooperation in the South Caucasus region, with Washington planning to sign bilateral agreements with both countries. These agreements aim to foster opportunities for economic development in the region.
The potential agreement includes plans for a key transit corridor, which would connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan region, separated by a 32km stretch of Armenian territory. The corridor, dubbed the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity,” could feature a rail line, oil and gas pipelines, and fiber optic cables. This infrastructure would facilitate the movement of goods and people across the region.
While the US won’t fund the construction of the corridor, private companies are expected to take on the project. The deal follows months of diplomatic efforts, including a visit earlier this year by Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku.
This peace agreement would mark a significant shift after nearly four decades of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region that was home to a mostly Armenian population during the Soviet era but has been a source of tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan since the Soviet Union’s collapse.
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