U.S. And EU Welcome Peace Progress Between Armenia And Azerbaijan

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan (L), US President Donald Trump (C) and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev be the "Board of Peace" gathering during the World Economic Forum (WEF) yearly gathering successful Davos connected January 22, 2026. US President Donald Trump will show disconnected his caller "Board of Peace" astatine Davos connected January 22, 2026 burnishing his declare to beryllium a peacemaker a time aft backing disconnected his ain threats against Greenland. Originally meant to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza aft the warfare betwixt Hamas and Israel, the board's charter does not limit its domiciled to the Strip, and has sparked concerns that Trump wants it to rival the United Nations. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)

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On August 10, the United States, Armenia, and Azerbaijan issued a joint statement celebrating the one-year day of the August 8, 2025 White House Peace Summit. The associated connection announced that location was “great resoluteness to build upon the instauration that ended decades of conflict and put the South Caucasus connected the way towards a much prosperous future.” The archive added that the discussions held among these 3 countries past twelvemonth person “provided a actual roadmap for Armenia and Azerbaijan, pinch the support of the United States, to fortify peace, execute prosperity, and deepen partnership” betwixt these countries. The associated connection concluded that the United States, Armenia, and Azerbaijan “reaffirm their unwavering support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and jurisdiction of some Armenia and Azerbaijan,” and that they “remain committed to the afloat implementation of the August 8 Joint Declaration.”

According to the associated statement, Armenia and Azerbaijan person “maintained stableness on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.” Additionally, Azerbaijan has “unilaterally lifted each transit restrictions pinch respect to Armenia.” The associated connection highlighted that astir 60,000 tons of equipment had been transported to and from Armenia done Azerbaijan, and that Azerbaijan has supplied 20,000 tons of lipid products to Armenia.

Finally, the associated connection announced that the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity “is moving from imagination to reality.” TRIPP, established past twelvemonth astatine the White House Peace Summit by U.S. President Donald Trump, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, will enable the U.S. to build rail, oil, gas, and fiber-optic lines successful the South Caucasus. The associated connection noted that engineering surveys are already underway successful Armenia, while Azerbaijan has astir completed a railroad connecting to TRIPP successful Armenia.

Like the United States, the European Union has besides welcomed advancement betwixt these 2 countries successful the South Caucasus. On August 14, the Report News Agency, an Azerbaijani news agency, reported that Anitta Hipper, the European Union’s Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said that Armenia and Azerbaijan person “made important progress, which has brought benefits to some countries.” She added that the “EU stands fresh to supply further support and expertise” arsenic Armenia and Azerbaijan proceed moving toward lasting peace.

Furthermore, the EU highlighted the lifting of waste and acquisition and transit restrictions betwixt Armenia and Azerbaijan, arsenic good arsenic the merchandise of detainees. The EU concluded that it “supports further applicable steps towards normalisation” betwixt Armenia and Azerbaijan, adding that “continued advancement connected the delimitation and demarcation of the border, the solution of humanitarian issues, and efforts towards reconciliation” each stay important issues to execute peace.

The statements made by the U.S. and EU, and the examples provided by each, explaining really Armenia and Azerbaijan person made advancement toward peace, propose that the normalization of relations successful the South Caucasus whitethorn beryllium underway. The conflict betwixt these 2 countries complete the mountainous region of Karabakh has spanned astir 4 decades. Between the 1980s and 2023, thousands of Armenians and Azerbaijanis person been killed while fighting complete the territory. Many much person go displaced.

When the conflict betwixt Armenia and Azerbaijan escalated successful 2020, Russia and Turkey attempted to discuss an extremity to the fighting. At the time, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a ceasefire aft Azerbaijan launched a subject cognition complete Karabakh. Russia besides deployed peacekeeping forces to the region.

Three years later, successful the autumn of 2023, Azerbaijan launched a caller offensive, during which it captured Karabakh. Over 100,000 Armenians were forced to flee, and Russian peacekeepers were incapable to support the peace. Since then, Pashinyan and Aliyev person held galore discussions, mediated by the U.S. and the EU, astir really to extremity tensions betwixt their countries.

During the ongoing bid discussions, Armenia’s ties pinch Turkey person besides improved. According to a Euronews study connected May 13, Turkey has removed a waste and acquisition regularisation connected Armenia. Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Öncü Keçeli said that the determination was made “in the ray of the historical opportunity seized to fortify lasting bid and prosperity successful the South Caucasus.”

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has strengthened power relations pinch Turkey. The Atlantic Council noted connected July 24 that Azerbaijan and Turkey person signed a 15-year semipermanent earthy state proviso agreement. The study added that Turkey is looking to diversify its power market, while the power woody “ensures a unchangeable proviso of Azerbaijani gas.”

But arsenic Armenia and Azerbaijan activity to amended their narration while simultaneously strengthening their engagements pinch the United States, the EU, and Turkey, Russia and Iran person criticized these developments. In July 2025, astir 2 weeks earlier the White House Peace Summit, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the U.S. of attempting to usurp the Armenia-Azerbaijan bid process, pinch Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova adding that the “West is attempting to displacement the reconciliation process betwixt Baku and Yerevan to its broadside successful bid to erstwhile again state governmental success.” Then, aft the White House Peace Summit, Ali Akbar Velayati, who astatine the clip was elder advisor to then-Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, criticized the TRIPP deal, arguing that Trump thinks the South Caucasus is simply a “piece of existent estate.”

Nevertheless, Pashinyan and Aliyev person continued to prosecute pinch the U.S. and TRIPP. The U.S. has already granted $201 cardinal to the Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund and has brought successful $400 cardinal successful U.S. overseas assistance to support the improvement of the TRIPP-plus economical corridor. These developments propose that Armenia and Azerbaijan are already benefiting from TRIPP only a twelvemonth aft its inception.

Achieving normalized relations betwixt Armenia and Azerbaijan will return time, and location is still overmuch advancement to beryllium made. Nonetheless, the U.S. and EU person noted that Armenia and Azerbaijan are moving successful the correct direction, suggesting that lasting bid successful the South Caucasus whitethorn beryllium achieved. Senior officials from the U.S. and EU will proceed to show the situation, documenting immoderate early advancement that whitethorn unfold.