(AFP) – US President Donald Trump will host the leaders of sworn enemies Armenia and Azerbaijan on Friday, touting the prospect of sealing a long-sought peace deal between the two regional rivals after decades of conflict. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev will attend a “Peace Signing Ceremony” at the White House, Trump posted Thursday on his Truth Social platform.
The latest US diplomatic push comes a day after Cambodia’s prime minister announced he had nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. Trump has repeatedly praised his own diplomatic efforts, saying he deserves the prize, while also voicing frustration about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the hunger plaguing Gaza during Israel’s offensive.
Peace has also been elusive for Armenia and Azerbaijan. Sworn enemies for decades, the two former Soviet republics went to war twice over the disputed Karabakh region, which Azerbaijan recaptured from Armenian forces in a lightning 2023 offensive, sparking the exodus of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians. The two countries have held talks aimed at securing a peaceful resolution, including last month in the United Arab Emirates, but a breakthrough has proved elusive.
“These two Nations have been at War for many years, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people,” Trump wrote. “Many Leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to ‘TRUMP.’ My Administration has been engaged with both sides for quite some time,” he added, saying he was “very proud of these courageous Leaders for doing the right thing.” Friday “will be a Historic Day for Armenia, Azerbaijan, the United States, and, THE WORLD,” Trump said.
Trump, a billionaire business tycoon, also said that Washington will sign bilateral deals with both countries “to pursue Economic opportunities together, so we can fully unlock the potential of the South Caucasus Region.”
One major agreement was already inked in Washington on Thursday, when Aliyev and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff were present for a memorandum of cooperation signed between ExxonMobil and Azerbaijan’s state energy company SOCAR. Aliyev and Witkoff then sat down for talks, the Azerbaijan president posted on X.
The former Soviet republics had agreed on the text of a comprehensive peace deal in March. But Azerbaijan has since outlined a host of demands — including amendments to Armenia’s constitution to drop territorial claims for Karabakh — before signing the document. It was not immediately clear Thursday whether those demands have been met. And while Trump said his administration “has been engaged with both sides for quite some time,” he did not provide specifics on the document that will be signed by representatives of the two countries.
In early July, Pashinyan and Aliyev met for the latest round of peace talks in the United Arab Emirates, but they failed to yield a breakthrough. The two foes had previously met on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Albania in May. At the time, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President Antonio Costa called for a prompt signature of a peace agreement between the two countries. A deal to normalize ties would be a major breakthrough in a region where Russia, the European Union, the United States, and Turkey all jostle for influence.
– Michael Mathes
© 2024 AFP
