The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a joint declaration for peace and bilateral economic agreements with Washington in a ceremony hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Aug. 8.
"For more than 35 years, Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought a bitter conflict that resulted in tremendous suffering for both nations… Many tried to find a resolution… and they were unsuccessful. With this accord, we’ve finally succeeded in making peace," Trump said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed the "peace roadmap" joint declaration alongside Trump following decades of conflict between the two nations over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, but internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory.
Azerbaijan recaptured the territory from Armenian forces in 2023, prompting the exodus of over 100,000 ethnic Armenians from the region.
"Today, we have reached a significant milestone in Armenian and Azerbaijani relations. We are laying a foundation to write a better story than the one we had in the past. This breakthrough would simply not have been possible without President Trump's personal engagement and his resolute commitment to peace," Pashinyan said.
A transportation corridor between the two countries will be created and will connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave located west of southern Armenia. The U.S. will have leasing rights for private companies to develop the new transit corridor.
The bilateral economic agreements that the two leaders signed with Trump will promote cooperation in trade, transit, energy infrastructure, and technology with the U.S.
"The countries of Armenia and Azerbaijan are committing to stop all fighting forever; open up commerce, travel, and diplomatic relations; and respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Trump said.
Following the signing of the peace deal in Washington, Aliyev and Pashinyan are both expected to nominate Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize.
"Who, if not President Trump, deserves the Nobel Peace Prize? ... we will agree to issue a joint letter," Aliyev said.
Trump has previously expressed that his mediation efforts in various conflicts deserve the Nobel Peace Prize.
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