President Donald Trump secured a major peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Friday, ending decades of conflict that previous efforts by the European Union, Russia, and the Biden administration failed to resolve.
Trump met privately with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in the Oval Office before they signed the peace declaration at a joint press conference.
“The countries of 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.
The deal marks a significant breakthrough between majority-Christian Armenia and majority-Muslim Azerbaijan, who have fought since the early 1990s over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Under the agreement, Armenia will grant the United States rights to develop a transit corridor through the South Caucasus. The corridor, which will bear President Trump’s name, holds strategic importance as the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Trump added that the U.S. will sign bilateral agreements with both countries to expand cooperation in energy, trade, and technology, including artificial intelligence.
The president also lifted U.S. restrictions on foreign aid and defense cooperation with Azerbaijan that have been in place since 1992,