Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a historic peace agreement Friday at the White House, with former President Donald Trump presiding over the ceremony.
The deal aims to end nearly 40 years of tensions and armed conflict between the two nations over the Nagorno-Karabakh region in southwestern Azerbaijan.
Aliyev called the signing “a great new history” and thanked Trump for bringing “peace” to the Caucasus. Pashinyan described the agreement as “opening a chapter of peace,” praising Trump’s role as a “statesman and peacemaker.”
Trump said the three leaders held “extensive” talks and signed “voluminous documents” to secure the deal. “It’s a long time, 35 years, they fought, and now they’re friends, and they’re going to be friends for a long time,” Trump said.
Long-Running Dispute Over Nagorno-Karabakh
The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict began in the late 1980s, when Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous Azerbaijani region largely populated by ethnic Armenians, broke away with backing from Armenia.
Azerbaijan regained full control in 2023 after a military offensive, prompting nearly all of the area’s 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee to Armenia.
Trump announced that both nations agreed to cease hostilities, establish diplomatic ties, and respect each other’s territorial integrity. He also confirmed the U.S. will lift restrictions on military cooperation with Azerbaijan.
Trump-Named Trade Corridor
Details of the written agreement have not yet been made public. However, the centerpiece is a trade and transit corridor through the South Caucasus to be named after Trump.
The route will link Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave, separated by a 20-mile strip of Armenian territory. The United States will have exclusive development rights to the corridor, which the White House says will boost energy exports and regional trade.
Azerbaijan’s demand for a direct link to Nakhchivan had been a major obstacle in previous peace talks. The agreement also includes a joint request to dissolve the Minsk Group, the now-defunct OSCE mediation body.
Blow to Russian Influence
The accord marks a setback for Russia, which has long positioned itself as the dominant power in the South Caucasus.
Moscow’s influence has waned in recent years, especially as it remains tied down in its war with Ukraine.
Trump Praised, Nominated for Nobel
Both Pashinyan and Aliyev said they will nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his role in ending the decades-long conflict.
Trump’s Nobel nominations have been building in recent months — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet announced his own nomination on Thursday for Trump’s role in defusing a Cambodia-Thailand border dispute, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted one in July.
Trump has repeatedly credited his diplomatic achievements, saying his record more than merits the award.
