US President Donald Trump announced a historic peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia at the White House on Friday. The leaders of the two nations signed an agreement aimed at ending decades of conflict.The South Caucasus countries agreed to reopen key transportation routes, while the US gained influence in the region as Russia’s power wanes. The deal includes creating a major transit corridor, named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, the White House announced.Trump called the naming of the route after him “a great honour for me” but added, “I didn’t ask for this.”Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said the corridor would “create connectivity opportunities for so many countries,” adding, “We are starting the path toward strategic partnership.” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan described the agreement as a “significant milestone,” saying,as quoted by AP, “We are laying a foundation to write a better story than the one we had in the past.”Both leaders credited Trump and his team for the breakthrough, with Aliyev saying, “President Trump in six months did a miracle.” Trump reflected on the long conflict, “Thirty-five years they fought and now they’re friends and they’re going to be friends a long time.”The transit route will connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave, separated by a narrow strip of Armenian territory — a major sticking point in previous talks. Trump expressed interest in visiting the route, saying, “We’re going to have to get over there.”White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the agreement “will build a cooperative future that benefits both countries, their region of the South Caucasus and beyond.” She emphasized the corridor would “allow unimpeded connectivity between the two countries while respecting Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and its people.”The deal represents a geopolitical shift, challenging Russia’s traditional influence. Moscow, which played mediator for decades, has seen its sway decline, especially after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Trump administration began serious talks with Armenia and Azerbaijan earlier this year, with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff meeting Aliyev in Baku to discuss a “regional reset.” Negotiations over developing the Trump Route- including rail, oil, gas, and fiber optic lines- are expected to begin soon, with at least nine developers expressing interest, reported AP.In addition to the joint Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement, both countries signed separate deals with the US to boost cooperation in energy, technology, and the economy.Trump, Pashinyan, and Aliyev signed the peace declaration in the State Dining Room. It is the first such agreement between the two countries since the Cold War ended. The documents included a letter asking the organisation for security and cooperation in Europe to dissolve its Minsk Group, which has mediated the conflict since the 1990s but is now deemed irrelevant by the White House.Armenia–Azerbaijan territorial rivalryThe Karabakh region has been a conflict zone between Armenia and Azerbaijan for nearly 40 years. During Soviet rule, it was an autonomous, mostly Armenian area within Azerbaijan. Rising tensions between Christian Armenians and Muslim Azerbaijanis, fueled by historic grievances, escalated as the USSR weakened. In 1988, Karabakh sought to join Armenia, leading to clashes. After Armenia gained independence in 1991, full-scale war broke out, causing around 30,000 deaths and displacing a million people. A 1994 ceasefire left Armenian forces controlling Karabakh and nearby areas. Attempts at international mediation failed.In 2020, Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, launched a six-week war to reclaim territory, resulting in over 6,700 casualties and regaining control of parts of Karabakh. A Russian-brokered peace agreement followed, deploying peacekeepers. In September 2023, Azerbaijan fully reclaimed Karabakh through swift military action, prompting over 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee to Armenia within a week.
