Washington: Armenia and Azerbaijan have signed a landmark peace agreement at the White House, ending nearly four decades of hostilities over the Nagorno-Karabakh region in a deal brokered by the United States.
The accord, hailed as a historic breakthrough, commits the two South Caucasus neighbors to reopening vital transportation links and normalizing relations. A central provision establishes a major transit corridor to be named the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity”, connecting Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenian territory. The White House said the naming was proposed by Armenia.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who presided over the signing alongside Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, stated that, “Thirty-five years they fought, and now they’re friends and they’re going to be friends a long time.”
“As President, my highest aspiration is to bring peace and stability to the world.” – President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/mDSJ2GRsHl
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 9, 2025
The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly Armenian-populated region within Azerbaijan during the Soviet era, has claimed tens of thousands of lives since the late 1980s.
Multiple wars, intermittent ceasefires, and failed mediation efforts defined the dispute until Azerbaijan reclaimed full control of the territory in 2023. Talks on a final peace settlement had stalled over transit rights for Azerbaijan.
The agreed corridor, just 32 kilometers wide, is expected to facilitate trade and energy flows, offering Azerbaijan a direct link to Turkey and onward to Europe. For Armenia, it promises economic opportunities and reduced regional isolation.
The agreement also includes separate bilateral deals between the US and each country to enhance cooperation in energy, technology, and the economy.
HISTORIC PEACE DEAL 🇺🇸
“For more than 35 years, Armenia & Azerbaijan have fought a bitter conflict that resulted in tremendous suffering… many tried to find a resolution… & they were unsuccessful. With this Accord, we’ve finally succeeded in making peace.” – President Trump pic.twitter.com/G1etilNX8D
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 8, 2025
Moscow, long the dominant mediator in the dispute, has seen its sway erode since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The US engagement intensified earlier this year when Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, met Aliyev in Baku to lay the groundwork for negotiations.
Both Aliyev and Pashinyan credited Trump and his team for achieving the breakthrough. “President Trump in six months did a miracle,” Aliyev said. Pashinyan called the deal a significant milestone and a foundation to write a better story than the one they had in the past.
