On August 8, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a historic peace agreement at the White House, which brings to a close over three decades of conflict centered on the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The agreement, facilitated by U.S. President Donald Trump, marks a significant shift in American influence in the South Caucasus amid a retreating Russian presence.
The signing took place in the State Dining Room, where the leaders, alongside Trump, characterized the event as a decisive turning point in their nations’ histories.
With the deal pending parliamentary ratification in both Armenia and Azerbaijan, it aims to establish a new transit corridor connecting Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave, traversing Armenian territory.
According to U.S. officials, the route will be named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a designation suggested by Armenia.
This corridor will support various infrastructure, including railways, oil and gas lines, and fiber optic networks, with negotiations set to begin shortly over development rights.
As of now, at least nine international consortia have already shown interest in the project.
The agreement also encompasses bilateral treaties between each nation and the United States to fortify collaboration on energy, infrastructure, and technology.
Furthermore, it plans to reopen essential transportation links across the region that were previously shuttered due to long-standing hostilities.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly described the agreement as a blueprint for a cooperative future, emphasizing that Armenian sovereignty and territorial integrity would be respected under the terms of the deal.
She stated, “This will allow unimpeded connectivity while safeguarding national borders and populations.”
The TRIPP corridor will close the 32-kilometer gap between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, a point of contention for many years.
Baku had formerly insisted on a land bridge under its own or neutral control, while Yerevan opposed any third-party monitoring.
However, under the new framework, the corridor will be under Armenian jurisdiction but developed with U.S. financial and logistical input.
Both leaders hailed the agreement as a major diplomatic success.
Pashinyan expressed hope for a brighter future, stating, “We are laying the foundation to write a better story than the one we had in the past.”
Aliyev echoed this sentiment, referring to the transit project as “a path toward strategic partnership” and praising Trump’s involvement, claiming, “President Trump in six months did a miracle.”
International observers suggested that Trump should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize due to his role in the negotiations.
In this context, Trump remarked, “Thirty-five years they fought, and now they’re friends — and they’re going to be friends for a long time.”
The backdrop of this agreement lies in the long-standing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan since the Soviet Union’s dissolution.
Significant violence erupted in the early 1990s, with renewed clashes occurring in 2020 and 2023, the latter resulting in Azerbaijan’s complete reclamation of Nagorno-Karabakh, leading to the mass exodus of its ethnic Armenian population.
This agreement marks the first formal peace declaration between the two nations since the Cold War.
As part of the accord, both governments dispatched a letter to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), aiming to dissolve the Minsk Group — the tripartite body that has long struggled to mediate a sustainable peace.
The White House indicated that the OSCE group is “no longer relevant.”
Analysts interpret this deal as integral to the broader strategy of the U.S. to leverage Russia’s diminishing power in the region.
Since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has had difficulties maintaining its historical role as a mediator in the South Caucasus.
Feeling let down by Russia’s inaction during recent Azerbaijani hostilities, Armenia is now pivoting more toward Western alliances.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has grown more assertive in distancing itself from Moscow’s influence.
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s diplomatic envoy, is credited with kickstarting the talks this year during a trip to Baku, where he proposed a “regional reset” strategy centered on infrastructure integration and energy independence.
This peace deal is part of a series of diplomatic efforts led by the Trump administration in 2025, which include successful ceasefires between India and Pakistan, agreements between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, and interventions in Southeast Asia to quell tensions between Cambodia and Thailand.
However, endeavors to resolve conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine have yet to see similar outcomes.
The evening prior to the signing, Trump hinted at the impending agreement on his Truth Social platform, stating, “Many Leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to ‘TRUMP.’”
While there is ongoing political discourse surrounding the appropriateness of naming international infrastructure after sitting U.S. presidents, the administration insists that the naming initiative originated from the Armenian negotiators.
When asked about a potential visit to the newly established corridor, Trump responded, “We’re going to have to get over there.”
Next steps involve the ratification of the peace agreement by both the Armenian National Assembly and the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis.
While Azerbaijani support is expected to be robust, Armenian ratification may face political hurdles, with nationalist groups already expressing concerns regarding territorial access provisions.
Despite this, U.S. officials appear optimistic about the agreement’s durability and its potential to foster regional stability and economic integration.
The implementation phase will entail formal demarcation, infrastructure planning, and long-term development agreements involving U.S. firms and local governance.
If successful, this deal could fundamentally redefine the geopolitical landscape of the South Caucasus, cultivating a U.S.-supervised corridor that connects Central Asia to Europe and concludes decades of tension.
image source from：eutoday
