Armenia and Azerbaijan formally signed a landmark peace agreement at the White House on August 8, ending decades of enmity and opening a new chapter of cooperation in the strategically important South Caucasus region.
The U.S.-brokered deal includes the creation of a major transit corridor, designated the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity,” linking Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenian territory.
The accord was signed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in a ceremony hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump. The leaders also inked separate bilateral agreements with the United States designed to enhance collaboration in energy, technology, and economic development. These moves underscore a broad U.S. initiative to reset relations in a region where Russia’s influence has markedly declined.
In their joint statements, Aliyev and Pashinyan emphasized the historic nature of the agreement. Aliyev stated, “We will turn the page of standoff, confrontation, and bloodshed and provide a bright and safe future for our children.” Pashinyan called the deal “a significant milestone,” adding, “We are laying a foundation to write a better story than the one we had in the past.”
“We’ve finally succeeded in making peace,” Trump said at a signing ceremony with Aliyev and Pashinyan at the White House. “Armenia and Azerbaijan are committing to stop all fighting forever, open up commerce, travel, and diplomatic relations and respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Trump said.
Trump praised the breakthrough, noting the conflict’s duration: “Thirty-five years they fought, and now they’re friends and they’re going to be friends a long time.” He announced the lifting of previous U.S. restrictions on military cooperation with Azerbaijan, imposed in 1992 amid the first full-scale war between Yerevan and Baku.
Both Aliyev and Pashinyan publicly credited Trump and his administration for facilitating the breakthrough. “President Trump in six months did a miracle,” Aliyev said. Pashinyan endorsed Trump’s role as a peacemaker, a sentiment echoed by numerous foreign leaders, some of whom have proposed Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Transit Corridor named after Trump
Central to the agreement is a 20-mile transit corridor passing through southern Armenia, which will connect mainland Azerbaijan to its autonomous exclave Nakhchivan, separated geographically by Armenian territory. The United States will hold exclusive development rights for the corridor, which will eventually feature a rail line, oil and gas pipelines, and fiber optic infrastructure.
The White House announced the corridor would bear the name “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” or TRIPP. Trump said that naming the route after him was “a great honour for me,” adding, “I didn’t ask for this.” A senior U.S. administration official disclosed that the name was proposed by Armenian representatives.
The corridor addresses one of the most contentious issues that had stalled prior peace talks: Azerbaijan’s longstanding demand for secure, direct access to Nakhchivan. Beyond its symbolic significance, the route offers Azerbaijan, a major oil and gas exporter, a more direct link to Turkey and European markets.
Key highlights of Trump Route
- The corridor will span approximately 40 kilometers through southern Armenia, connecting mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave.
- TRIPP is planned to cover a wide range of investments in infrastructure, including railways, pipelines, and fiber optic lines.
- Armenia will retain full sovereignty over the corridor, while the United States will hold exclusive development rights under a 99-year lease agreement.
- The corridor secures Baku a direct link to Nakhchivan and Turkey, bypassing reliance on routes through Iran or Russia.
- Trump Route gives Washington a tangible logistical foothold in a sensitive region, expanding U.S. influence where Russia has sought to keep it out.
Geopolitical Implications: Russia’s waning influence and Iran’s concerns
The agreement represents a strategic setback for Russia, which long positioned itself as the principal power broker in the South Caucasus. Moscow’s leverage has diminished considerably since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s ability to mediate between Armenia and Azerbaijan has waned amid its preoccupation with the conflict in Ukraine, while Armenia’s leadership seeks closer ties with Western institutions, including the European Union.
The deal also sparked unease in Iran, which shares borders with both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Tehran welcomed the end of hostilities but issued a warning against external interference. The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated, “Establishing communication networks will serve the security, and economic development of the nations of the region when it is done within the framework of mutual interests, respecting the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the countries of the region, and without foreign interference.”
Iranian officials described the U.S. role as “interesting, offensive and dangerous,” while some commentators argued the corridor would suffocate Iran’s geopolitical influence by granting the United States operational control over a strategic transit route along Iran’s northern border.
Iran is even considering blocking the corridor planned in the Caucasus. Ali Akbar Velayati, a top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, said that Tehran would block the initiative “with or without Russia”, with which Iran has a strategic alliance alongside Armenia.
Turkiye welcomes strategic transit corridor
Baku’s closest ally Turkiye welcomed the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, expressing hope that the planned strategic transit corridor could enhance energy and resource exports through the South Caucasus.
NATO member Turkiye has been a strong supporter of Azerbaijan in its conflicts with Armenia, but has committed to restoring relations with Yerevan once a final peace deal is signed. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan later spoke with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, reaffirming Ankara’s support for lasting peace in the region.
Historical context and future prospects
The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict originated in the late 1980s when the predominantly ethnic Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh region sought to secede from Azerbaijan, igniting a war that resulted in tens of thousands of casualties and long-standing animosity. Azerbaijan regained full control of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023 after a military offensive, prompting a large-scale exodus of Armenians from the area.
The newly signed peace treaty commits both countries to cease hostilities indefinitely, open trade and travel, and respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The agreement also signals the likely dissolution of the Minsk Group, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s mediation body, which has long overseen peace efforts in the region.
Negotiations to determine the developers of the Trump Route corridor are expected to commence imminently. At least nine parties have expressed interest, reflecting the corridor’s anticipated significance as a conduit for regional commerce and energy exports.