U.S. President Trump's mediation leads to Caucasus tranquility: Exploring the Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement After Three Decades
The South Caucasus region witnessed a significant breakthrough on August 9, 2024, with the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This was followed by a strategic transit corridor agreement in August 2025, marking a decisive shift from Russian influence and establishing the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).
Key aspects of the agreement include the recognition of each other’s sovereignty, a commitment to permanent peace, and the opening of diplomatic relations. Armenia granted the United States exclusive 99-year development rights over the Zangezur corridor, a 43-kilometer land transit connecting Azerbaijan with its exclave Nakhchivan and Turkey, bypassing Iran and Russia. The corridor is set to be developed with infrastructure such as railways, energy pipelines, fiber optics, and electricity transmission.
Armenia also agreed to constitutional amendments, the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, the removal of third-party border monitors, and the withdrawal of legal cases against Azerbaijan. In return, Azerbaijan gained an uninterrupted land connection to Turkey, which is geopolitically significant for regional trade and security.
Former President Donald Trump played a pivotal role in the negotiation and promotion of this deal. The peace corridor is branded as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), highlighting his administration's legacy in brokering this strategic infrastructure project and peace process. The United States, under Trump’s leadership, actively facilitated the negotiations and hosted the 2025 signing ceremony at the White House.
The deal is seen as part of Trump’s “peace prize legacy” aimed at resolving a long-standing conflict and expanding US influence in a geopolitically sensitive region. However, concerns remain about its long-term durability given regional rivalries and unresolved issues, such as detainee releases and demographic changes in Armenia. Regional powers like Iran have expressed security concerns and threatened to block the corridor despite welcoming the peace accord.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev described the U.S.-brokered peace deal as a "historic" opportunity to end more than three decades of conflict in the South Caucasus. Despite this, the status of refugees and detainees from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unsettled. Azerbaijani President Aliyev claims the agreement cannot be formally signed until Armenia amends its constitution, which he claims still questions Azerbaijani sovereignty.
The TRIPP corridor is expected to link the Caspian Sea region with markets in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, carrying goods, energy supplies, and potentially serving as a rail hub for cross-regional trade. The involvement of the U.S. in the peace process is expected to make the whole story even more attractive for potential investors.
In summary, the US-brokered peace deal is actively in place with significant political and economic commitments. Donald Trump played a central role in negotiating and promoting this agreement as part of his foreign policy legacy. The arrangement redefines influence in the Caucasus with the US taking the lead over previous Russian dominance.
- The peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, brokered by former President Donald Trump, has economic implications that extend beyond the region, as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) corridor is expected to link the Caspian Sea region with markets in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
- The United States, under Trump’s leadership, is actively involved in the development of the TRIPP corridor, with Armenia granting exclusive 99-year development rights over the Zangezur corridor, which includes infrastructure such as railways, energy pipelines, fiber optics, and electricity transmission.
- The TRIPP corridor, a strategic transit corridor agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, is not only a political breakthrough in the South Caucasus, but also a significant policy-and-legislation and economy- related development, potentially attracting investment from general-news sources interested in trade and cross-regional economic collaboration.
