Countries Azerbaijan and Armenia reveal terms of tentatively agreed peace treaty
The nations of Armenia and Azerbaijan have come to a significant agreement aimed at ending the long-standing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. On August 8, the leaders of the two countries, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President İlhan Aliyev, joined U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House for a historic trilateral summit.
The 17-point peace agreement, which recognizes the existing borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan, marks a significant step towards resolving decades-old disputes. Both countries have pledged to relinquish all territorial claims against each other, effectively ending disputes over Nagorno-Karabakh and other contested areas.
One of the key features of the agreement is the creation of a 43-kilometre transit corridor through southern Armenia, known as the Zangezur corridor or Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP). This corridor, which connects Azerbaijan to its exclave Nakhchivan, will be developed under the exclusive special development rights of the United States for 99 years. The United States will sublease to a consortium to build infrastructure, including rail, oil, gas, fiber optics, and possibly electricity transmission lines.
The agreement also prohibits the stationing of third-country military forces on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, aiming to prevent international militarization and reduce tensions. The treaty contains provisions to enhance economic ties and normalize relations, including pledges to deepen infrastructure and trade connections, signaling a move toward regional integration.
Besides the corridor, the treaty establishes bilateral mechanisms or commissions for ongoing dialogue, border demarcation, peaceful dispute resolution, and to oversee implementation of the peace deal terms. Once they exchange "instruments of ratification," Azerbaijan and Armenia will establish diplomatic ties.
The agreement also prohibits the use or threat of force against each other's territorial integrity or political independence, and interference in each other's internal affairs. Both countries have agreed to withdraw mutual claims in international courts within a month after the deal enters into force.
The draft decision by the OSCE Ministerial Council on the closure of the OSCE Minsk Group was circulated among its member states on Aug. 11. The Azerbaijani side has called for the support of necessary procedures with the view of adopting the draft decision by the OSCE Ministerial Council.
The peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan is a comprehensive framework intended to resolve ethnic and territorial conflicts while repositioning the South Caucasus geopolitically. While this agreement marks a significant step towards peace, regional tensions may persist as neighboring countries, especially Iran, have expressed concerns about foreign intervention and its potential impact on their security.
The historic trilateral summit's 17-point peace agreement, situated within the broader context of war-and-conflicts and general-news in the South Caucasus, is aimed at resolving decades-old disputes, including Nagorno-Karabakh, through economic integration and diplomatic ties. Furthermore, the agreement's prohibition on the stationing of third-country military forces and mutual withdrawal of claims in international courts signals a move towards de-escalation, addressing political concerns surrounding peace amidst regional tensions and potential foreign intervention from neighboring countries like Iran.
