US-brokered peace: Azerbaijan, Armenia Ink "historic" pact
Shafaq News – Washington
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a historic peace agreement on Friday at the White House, in a ceremony under the patronage of US President Donald Trump, who hailed the deal as a major diplomatic breakthrough.
"We have succeeded in achieving peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia after decades of conflict," Trump said before the signing, praising Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US envoy Steve Witkoff, and other officials for their efforts in bringing the two sides to an agreement.
Trump, who mediated between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, added that American companies would invest heavily in both countries. “This will positively impact the economic situation in Azerbaijan and Armenia,” he stated.
Aliyev described the agreement as a "historic event," adding, "We are writing a new chapter in our bilateral relations with the United States. We are beginning a path toward strategic partnership, and a formal charter will be drafted within months."
Pashinyan also welcomed the deal, calling it "a great peace agreement that will have positive effects on the region and the world." He added, "Today, we achieve a major milestone in building a new future between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This peace agreement will make the world a better place."
Meanwhile, the agreement grants the United States development rights over a 43-kilometer corridor through Armenian territory, which will be named the “Trump Path for Global Peace and Prosperity.”
The conflict between Baku and Yerevan stems from the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, an ethnically Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan. The two countries have fought two wars—one following the collapse of the Soviet Union, which ended in an Armenian victory, and a second in 2020, which Azerbaijan won.
Baku fully regained control of the territory in a brief offensive in September 2023, resulting in the displacement of over 100,000 Armenians from the disputed region.
