Image via video White House.
Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a historic joint declaration for peace that would boost bilateral economic ties after decades of conflict and move them toward a normalization of their relations.
The deal between the South Caucasus parties – assuming it holds – would be a significant accomplishment for the Trump administration.
US president Donald J. Trump hosted on August 8 Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev and Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan at the White House, in an effort to end the conflict between the two countries.
At the White House the two leaders signed a peace declaration and bilateral economic agreements with the U.S., unlocking the great potential of the South Caucasus region in trade, transit, energy, infrastructure, and technology.
In Washington, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev in an interview to Azerbaijani media representatives, summed up the results of his visit to the United States.
Answering a question about the potential of more American investments in the energy sector, president Aliyev emphasized that “energy has a special place” in the memorandum agreed with the president Trump: “When we say energy, it is oil, it is gas, and potentially renewables. Today, Azerbaijan is supplying natural gas to 10 members of NATO, 10 American allies.
“And with respect to pipeline gas delivery, we cover 14 countries. So, in that respect, again about pipeline gas, Azerbaijan is one of the leading countries in the world.
“Supplying 10 members of NATO and 10 members of the EU, we just recently started supplying natural gas to Syria. So, we have already entered the Middle East region, and will expand our geography in Europe and also in the Middle East.”
Both leaders praised Trump for helping to end the conflict and said this is a significant milestone in Armenian and Azerbaijani relations.
“It’s a day which will be remembered by the people of Azerbaijan with a feeling of pride and gratitude to President Trump… Within several months, he managed to put an end to conflicts in Asia, in Africa, and now in South Caucasus – what we could not achieve for more than 30 years… We will turn the page of standoff, confrontation, and bloodshed, and provide a bright and safe future for our children,” said Azerbaijani president Aliyev.
Trump has tried to present himself as a global peacemaker in the first months of his second term.
“For more than 35 years, Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought a bitter conflict that resulted in tremendous suffering for both nations… Many tried to find a resolution… and they were unsuccessful. With this Accord, we’ve finally succeeded in making peace,” said president Trump.
The White House credits him with brokering a peace between Cambodia and Thailand, Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Ethiopia, Serbia and Kosovo, and with the Abraham Accords.
“Today, we have reached a significant milestone in Armenian and Azerbaijani relations. We are laying a foundation to write a better story than the one we had in the past. This breakthrough would simply not have been possible without President Trump’s personal engagement and his resolute commitment to peace,” said Armenian prime minister Pashinyan.
