Azerbaijan-Armenia signed a peace treaty in the presence of Donald Trump, ending 35 years of enmity

New Delhi: Two old rivals Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a historic peace treaty on Friday under the mediation of America. This meeting took place at the White House in the presence of US President Donald Trump.

The aim of the agreement is not only to end the decades-old conflict, but also to strengthen economic cooperation and diplomatic relations between the two countries. This agreement is a major achievement for the Trump administration and it is sure to cause panic in Russia, which considers this region to be in its sphere of influence.

Trump said at the signing ceremony, “We fought for 35 years, now we are friends … and will remain friends for a long time.” Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan were present with Trump at the ceremony.

The root of the dispute between the two countries is the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which, despite being part of Azerbaijan, was an ethnically Armenian populated area. In the late 1980s, it separated with the support of Armenia. In 2023, Azerbaijan regained full control, after which about 1 lakh ethnic Armenians moved to Armenia.

Trump said that both countries have committed to stop fighting, start diplomatic relations and respect each other’s territorial integrity. The agreement also gives the US special development rights for a strategic transit corridor passing through the South Caucasus. The White House said that this will increase the export of energy and other resources.

Both leaders nominated Trump for Nobel
The two leaders praised Trump and thanked him for helping to end the conflict and said that they would nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Aliyev said, “If not President Trump, then who should get the Nobel Peace Prize?”

Trump has tried to present himself as a global peacemaker in the early months of his second term. The White House says he has brokered peace deals between Cambodia and Thailand, Rwanda and Congo, and Pakistan and India. However, India has been rejecting his claim. At the same time, Trump has not been able to end the Russia-Ukraine war or the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Regional impact
According to experts, this agreement can change the map of the South Caucasus. This region is connected to Russia, Europe, Turkey and Iran and passes through oil-gas pipelines, but has long been embroiled in closed borders and ethnic disputes.