Donald Trump declares that Armenia and Azerbaijan have perpetually pledged an end to their hostilities.

Headline: United States Mediates Historic Peace Agreement Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

In a groundbreaking development, Armenia and Azerbaijan have signed a joint declaration in Washington D.C., mediated by U.S. President Donald Trump, marking a significant step towards peace after decades of conflict. The agreement, signed on August 8, 2025, outlines initial peace and inter-state relations agreements while emphasizing the need for further negotiations to finalize and ratify a comprehensive peace treaty.

Key Provisions of the Agreement

The agreement includes several key provisions, such as:

Establishment of a Strategic Transit Corridor (Zangezur Corridor): Armenia grants a 99-year exclusive special development right to the U.S. over a 27-mile corridor connecting Azerbaijan with its exclave Nakhchivan. The corridor is envisioned to include rail, oil, gas, fiber optic lines, and possibly electricity transmission.
Economic Cooperation: Alongside the peace declaration, bilateral economic agreements were signed involving Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the U.S. These agreements aim to unlock the South Caucasus region's economic potential in trade, transit, energy, infrastructure, and technology.
Acknowledgment of the Need for Continued Efforts: The declaration is an initial framework acknowledging that full peace requires further negotiations, signing, and ratification processes.

Implications for Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Region, and Global Powers

The agreement has far-reaching implications for the involved parties and the region as a whole.

Armenia: Gains a framework for peace and economic collaboration but cedes exclusive development rights in the corridor to the U.S., which impacts sovereignty considerations. The corridor remains subject to Armenian law, preserving sovereignty claims.
Azerbaijan: Secures transit and economic links to its exclave Nakhchivan and Turkey, strengthening regional integration and reducing dependence on routes via Russia or Iran.
The Region (South Caucasus): The agreement offers a path to lasting peace and stability, potentially ending decades of violent conflict. It creates a regional transit corridor boosting trade and connectivity.
Global Powers: The U.S. establishes a strategic influence in the South Caucasus, aiming to counterbalance Russia, Iran, and China. The corridor bypasses Iranian and Russian territory, diminishing their regional leverage. Turkey’s role as a buffer against malign interference is enhanced. Iran expressed security concerns and opposition to the corridor despite accepting the broader peace progress.

The trilateral nature of the agreement, symbolized by President Trump’s direct involvement, marks a new U.S. diplomatic assertiveness in the South Caucasus, seen as critical to ensuring the agreement’s implementation and long-term success.

This declaration is not a final peace treaty but a foundational step toward comprehensive normalization of relations with significant geopolitical and economic dimensions. Continued U.S. engagement and regional cooperation are essential to fully realize the peace’s promise.

The joint declaration commits Armenia and Azerbaijan to stop all fighting forever, open up commerce, travel, and diplomatic relations, and respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The disputed mountainous enclave of Karabakh, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, is not explicitly mentioned in the agreement but is likely to be addressed in future negotiations.

The United States will have development rights for the corridor, which has been dubbed the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity." The agreement has been welcomed by global powers, with the European Union, Turkey, and even Iran expressing support for the broader peace progress, despite reservations about specific provisions.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev have been credited for their roles in facilitating the agreement, with Pashinyan thanking Trump as a "peacemaker" for the breakthrough. The signing has been hailed as a historic moment by both leaders, with Aliyev offering to send a joint appeal to the Nobel committee recommending Trump receive the Peace Prize.

The agreement follows a series of conflicts between the two former Soviet republics, Armenia (Christian-majority) and Azerbaijan (Muslim-majority), over their border and the status of ethnic enclaves within each other's territories. The two countries went to war twice over the disputed Karabakh region, with Azerbaijan recapturing it from Armenian forces in a 2023 offensive, causing the exodus of over 100,000 ethnic Armenians.

The White House official stated that Armenia is an enormous strategic commercial partner, possibly the most strategic in history: the United States of America. The UK Foreign Secretary congratulated the two countries on the bold steps taken in Washington. The European Union chiefs said the deal paves the way to lasting, sustainable peace for both countries and the entire region. Trump stated that if there's future conflict, the leaders will call him to resolve it.

The United States' mediation of the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan has international repercussions, as Turkey, Russia, and other global powers closely follow the developments in the South Caucasus.
The agreement's key provisions, such as the establishment of a Strategic Transit Corridor and economic cooperation agreements, have significant implications for the political landscape and geopolitical interests of these global powers.
As peace negotiations and the ratification of a comprehensive peace treaty continue, the international community will closely monitor the role of the United States in the region, with potential impacts on general news, war-and-conflicts, and politics.