At a meeting at the White House, the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, in the presence of US President Donald Trump, agreed to permanently resolve their decades-long conflict and signed a declaration. “Armenia and Azerbaijan commit to cease all fighting forever, resume trade, travel, and diplomatic relations, and respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Trump said Friday after meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
The two politicians would henceforth have a “great relationship,” Trump said. “If there is a conflict, they will call me, and we will sort it out.” Pashinyan and Aliyev shook hands under Trump's benevolent gaze. All three then signed a document that the White House described as a “joint statement.” “Today we are creating peace in the Caucasus,” Aliyev said. He also offered to nominate Trump and Pashinyan jointly for the Nobel Peace Prize.
“This signature means a great deal to the leaders of the two countries, which have been at war with each other for more than three decades,” he explained. “Who, if not President Trump, deserves the Nobel Peace Prize?” Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized that “the initialing of the peace agreement will pave the way to end the decades-long conflict between our countries and usher in a new era.” The “breakthrough” would not have been possible without Trump. He also emphasized that Trump deserved the Nobel Prize.
The US president had announced his meeting with Pashinyan and Aliyev in advance as an “official peace ceremony.” This is the latest mediation effort in an international conflict by the US president, who is convinced that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. Details of the agreement were not initially known. The White House also did not provide any information on the extent to which the signed document corresponds to an official peace treaty agreed upon by the two states in March.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said before the meeting that Armenia and Azerbaijan would sign a “joint statement” agreeing to a transit corridor between Azerbaijan and its exclave of Nakhchivan, a long-standing demand of Baku. The corridor, with exclusive rights for the US, would be called “Trump Road for International Peace and Prosperity,” she said. In addition, both states would agree to dissolve the OSCE's Minsk Group, which had mediated in the conflict for many years.
A meeting between Pashinyan and Aliyev on July 10 in Abu Dhabi had not brought any tangible progress toward the conclusion of the March peace agreement.Armenia and Azerbaijan had fought two wars against each other in recent decades over control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. In 2023, Azerbaijan brought the region, which is predominantly inhabited by ethnic Armenians, under its control in a large-scale military offensive. The military operation triggered the flight of more than 100,000 people to Armenia.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) welcomed the agreement: “Armenia and Azerbaijan are opening a new chapter in their history today,” he said late Friday evening. The fact that both states have “initialed a peace treaty” on Trump's initiative “gives hope to many people in Armenia and Azerbaijan who look back on a long history of conflict, displacement and suffering.” Wadephul congratulated Pashinyan and Aliyev “on the path of peaceful coexistence and a peaceful future” they have now chosen.
Turkey, a close ally of Azerbaijan, also welcomed the agreement. “At a time when international conflicts and crises are escalating, this step is an extremely important development for promoting peace and stability in the region,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. “We appreciate the contribution of the US government in this process,” it added.
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