"Historic" peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Arab Sea Newspaper - Follow-ups

Arab Sea - Follow-ups: In a move described as historic, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a comprehensive peace agreement yesterday, Friday, under the auspices of US President Donald Trump, ending decades of bloody conflict between the two countries over the Nagorno-Karabakh region and other border areas. The signing took place at the White House in the presence of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, where the two sides announced their commitment to a permanent ceasefire, the opening of diplomatic relations, and the promotion of economic and trade cooperation, in addition to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each other. The agreement, dubbed the "Trump Path to International Peace and Prosperity," grants the United States exclusive development rights to a strategic transit corridor linking Azerbaijan to the Nakhchivan region through Armenian territory, in a project expected to open up broad economic prospects for both sides and enhance the American presence in a region where Russian, Iranian, and Chinese influence intersect. Trump described the agreement as a "historic achievement," stressing that American companies will invest large sums in the two countries, while calling on the two leaders to have a "good relationship" in the future. For his part, Aliyev and Pashinyan considered that today "writes a new history of peace in the Caucasus," stressing that the agreement "paves the way for ending decades of conflict." Turkey welcomed the agreement, while Washington affirmed that the talks leading to it took months of mutual visits and intensive mediation, noting that it paves the way for full normalization between the two countries despite the remaining thorny issues such as border demarcation and constitutional amendments in Armenia. It is noteworthy that Azerbaijan regained full control of the Karabakh region in September 2023, which led to the displacement of more than 100,000 Armenians, thus ending rounds of conflict that have continued since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early nineties.