Washington: A peace "roadmap" set to be signed between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia will establish a long-sought transit route and deepen the two nations' bilateral ties with Washington, the White House said Friday. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev are slated to arrive separately at the White House on Friday, with Pashinyan arriving first, followed by Aliyev. The two will hold separate bilateral meetings with Trump before coming together for a trilateral signing ceremony in the State Dining Room.
According to Anadolu Agency, the roadmap they are agreeing to will build a cooperative future that benefits both countries, their region of the South Caucasus, and beyond. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told reporters on a conference call that by locking in this path to peace, the agreement unlocks the great potential of the South Caucasus region in trade, transit, and energy.
The agreement includes the development of the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity," described as a multimodal transit area connecting mainland Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, while respecting Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Previous proposals to resolve the conflict included a route known as the Zangezur Corridor. However, an anonymous official stated that with the agreement, there is no more talk of a corridor.
Negotiations over the route's operation are expected to begin next week, with nine potential operators, including three American firms, expressing interest. Working groups will be launched immediately after the deal is inked to finalize details over the coming months.
The leaders will also sign a joint letter requesting the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to dissolve the Minsk Group, a mediation organization co-chaired by the US, Russia, and France. Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought a series of cross-border wars since the late 1980s, including in 2023 when Azerbaijan reclaimed the territory of Karabakh.
Pashinyan and Aliyev will separately sign bilateral agreements with the US intended to unlock relationships with each country and the region while benefiting American businesses. The agreements address a wide range of bilateral issues, including energy, technology, economic cooperation, border security, infrastructure, and trade, according to the White House.