Keystone-SDA
Armenia and Azerbaijan were committed to Washington on Friday to “stop definitively”, according to Donald Trump, the territorial conflict which has opposed them for decades. A greatly hailed success.
(Keystone-ATS) Alongside Mr. Trump at the White House, President Azerbaijani Ilham Aliev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pachinian estimated that the mediation of the American president, very sensitive to honors and distinctions, was to assert the Nobel Peace Prize.
The two former Soviet republics “undertake to definitively cease any conflict, to open trade and diplomatic relations and to respect the sovereignty and territorial entireness” of each, assured the American president.
However, the binding or not of this commitment is not clear.
“You are going to have a very good relationship,” he said to his two guests, adding: “If not, call me and I will arrange this”.
“We are delighted with the progress made for the establishment of sustainable peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia,” said the Turkish Foreign Ministry in a statement, reacting to Washington announcements.
His Iranian counterpart has welcomed the text while expressing “his concern about the negative consequences of any foreign intervention, in any form whatsoever”.
Nobel Peace Nobel
France, where hundreds of thousands of people of Armenian origin live, has mentioned a “decisive advance”, negotiated “with a view to normalization of relations” between Erevan and Bakou.
The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the president of the European Council Antonio Costa mentioned in a common text “a major advance … paving the way for lasting and viable peace for the two countries and for the whole region”.
London welcomed “daring measures” for peace after the agreement and “essential role” of Donald Trump and Berlin a “hopeful” treaty.
Speaking of a “historic” day, Ilham Aliev proposed to send, with Nikol Pachinian, a letter to support Mr. Trump’s candidacy at the Nobel Peace Prize.
“Who, if not President Trump, (the) deserves?” Asked the strong man from Baku.
He thanked Donald Trump for his decision, also announced on Friday, for lifting restrictions weighing for several years on the military cooperation of his country with the United States.
The Armenian leader also expressed his support for a Nobel Peace Prize for Donald Trump: “We will defend” this candidacy.
Applications for the Nobel Peace Prize 2025 have been closed since January 31 and are not made public.
“Fort and understand”
Israel, Pakistan and Cambodia recently announced that they were appointing Donald Trump, who considers this distinction for various mediation efforts.
MM. Aliev and Pachinian shook his hand under the eye of Donald Trump, and then signed a “joint declaration”.
“Today we establish peace in the Caucasus,” said President Azerbaijani.
“Today, we can say that peace has been obtained,” said Armenian Prime Minister at a press conference.
The agreement concluded on Friday provides for the creation of a transit zone passing through Armenia and connecting Azerbaijan to its Enclave du Nakhitchevan further west.
This transit zone, which responds to a longtime claim of Baku, will be called “Trump path for peace and international prosperity” (tripp, its acronym in English).
The United States will have development rights, which allows them to advance its pawns in a very strategic region rich in hydrocarbons.
A senior American official assured that Armenia did not leave negotiations because it gained a close partnership with the United States.
Karabakh
The American president, whose fascination for authoritarian regimes is known, asked Ilham Aliev for how long he was in power.
“22 years old,” replied President Azerbaijani.
“It means that he is strong and intelligent,” said Donald Trump.
Mr. Aliev was elected in February 2024 for a fifth term, with 90% of the vote, and after a ballot without real opposition according to international observers.
The always very sensitive question of Karabakh was hardly mentioned on Friday in the White House.
This contested region is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but was checked for three decades by Armenian separatists.
Baku partially picked up the enclave during a new war in the fall of 2020, then entirely during a flash offensive in September 2023.
Bakou and erevan agreed in March on the text of a peace treaty. But Azerbaijan, victorious, demands that Armenia modify its constitution to officially renounce any territorial demand on Karabakh.
Nikol Pachinian said he was ready to comply, announcing his intention to organize a constitutional referendum in 2027. But the trauma of the loss of Karabakh, called Artsakh in Armenian, continues to divide his country.
