Trump to Host Armenia and Azerbaijan for Historic Peace Signing at White House

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US President Donald Trump is set to host Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the White House this Friday for a peace summit aimed at resolving the long-standing conflict between the two former Soviet republics. The summit will include an official Peace Signing Ceremony, marking a significant diplomatic effort to bring stability to the South Caucasus region.

The dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan centres primarily on the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has been the cause of two wars over the past decades. In 2023, Azerbaijan recaptured large parts of the territory in a swift military offensive, leading to the displacement of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians. Despite several rounds of talks, including recent meetings in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Albania, a formal peace agreement has remained elusive.

President Trump announced the event on his social media platform, Truth Social, emphasising the historic nature of the summit. He highlighted the tragic toll of the conflict, which has claimed thousands of lives, and credited his administration’s mediation efforts with breaking the deadlock. “Many leaders have tried to end the war, with no success, until now, thanks to TRUMP,” he wrote, praising the courage of the two leaders for pursuing peace.

Alongside the peace signing, the summit will also focus on economic collaboration. The White House plans to facilitate bilateral agreements designed to boost regional development and economic opportunities in the South Caucasus. This follows a major deal signed on Thursday between Azerbaijan’s state energy company SOCAR and US energy giant ExxonMobil. The memorandum of cooperation was signed in Washington in the presence of President Aliyev and Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.

The groundwork for the peace agreement was laid earlier this year when the two countries agreed on the text of a comprehensive deal in March. However, Azerbaijan has since stipulated several conditions before formalising the treaty, including constitutional amendments from Armenia to renounce claims on Nagorno-Karabakh. It remains unclear whether these demands will be met in time for Friday’s signing.

In recent months, efforts to reach a breakthrough have intensified. The latest talks in the UAE in July, and prior discussions at the European Political Community summit in Albania, underscored international support for a peaceful resolution. French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President António Costa publicly urged a prompt agreement between Yerevan and Baku.

This White House-hosted summit represents a pivotal moment in the search for peace in the Caucasus. Should the peace deal be signed, it would mark a rare success in international diplomacy by ending a conflict that has destabilised the region for decades and opened the door to future economic cooperation.