Pashinyan & Aliyev Agree on Initial Peace Deal at White House
“I want to congratulate these two great people, Prime Minister Pashinyan and President Aliyev, for coming to Washington to sign this momentous joint declaration,” President Trump said.
On August 8, a trilateral summit between U.S. President Donald Trump, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev took place at the White House, resulting in a joint declaration for peace, reported several media outlets.
During the meeting, Trump praised the leaders’ courage, saying he believed the two men would have a “great relationship” and that the agreement would bring both peace and new economic opportunities to the South Caucasus.
“I want to congratulate these two great people, Prime Minister Pashinyan and President Aliyev, for coming to Washington to sign this momentous joint declaration,” Trump said.
As a result of the meeting, a joint declaration was signed by the three parties, outlining the outcomes of the August 8 trilateral summit.
The leaders pledged to continue working toward signing and ratifying the peace agreement and emphasized the importance of maintaining and strengthening peace.
Below is the complete text:
“We, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, having met in Washington D.C., United States of America, on August 8, 2025, declare the following:
1. We and President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America witnessed the initialing of the agreed upon text of the Agreement on Establishment of Peace and Interstate relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Parties. In this respect, we acknowledged the need to continue further actions to achieve the signing and ultimate ratification of the Agreement, and emphasized the importance of maintaining and strengthening peace between our two countries;
2. We also witnessed the signing of the joint appeal to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on the closure of OSCE’s Minsk Process and related structures by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan. We call on all OSCE participating States to adopt this decision.
3. We reaffirmed the importance of the opening of communications between the two countries for intra-state, bilateral, and international transportation for the promotion of peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and in its neighborhood on the basis of respect for its local and regional integrity and jurisdiction of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan. These efforts are to include unimpeded connectivity between the main part of the Republic of Azerbaijan and its Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic through the territory of the Republic of Armenia with reciprocal benefits for international and intrastate connectivity for the Republic of Armenia.
4. The Republic of Armenia will work with the United States of America and mutually determined third parties, to set forth a framework for the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) connectivity project in the territory of the Republic of Armenia. We confirm our determination to pursue efforts in good faith to achieve this goal in the most expeditious manner.
5. We acknowledge the need to chart a course for a bright future not bound by the conflict of the past, consistent with the Charter of the United Nations and the 1991 Almaty Declaration. The conditions have been created for our nations to finally embark on building good neighborly relations on the basis of the inviolability of international borders and the inadmissibility of the use of force for the acquisition of territory after the conflict that brought immense human suffering. This reality, which is not and should never be subject to revision, paves the way for closing the chapter of enmity between our two nations. We resolutely reject and exclude any attempt of revenge, now and in the future.
6. We express our confidence that this Summit is a strong foundation for mutual respect and the advancement of peace in the region.
7. We express deep gratitude to President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America for his gracious hospitality in hosting this important summit and for his significant contributions to advancing the normalization of bilateral relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia.
The present Declaration was signed on August 8, 2025, in Washington D.C., United States of America.”
At the press conference following the summit, President Donald Trump reflected on the historic significance of the agreement: “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.”
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev described the day as one of historic significance: “Today, we are establishing peace in the Caucasus. President Trump is bringing peace to the Caucasus. If it weren’t for President Trump, Armenia and Azerbaijan would still be stuck in endless negotiations. It’s a day that 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 the 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.”
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also praised Trump’s role, stating: “I congratulate all of us — the countries of our region and the world — as a result of this, the world will definitely become a better place. 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.”
The U.S. signed bilateral agreements with both countries to increase cooperation in areas like energy, trade, transit, infrastructure, and technology, including artificial intelligence.
According to the agreement with Azerbaijan, the U.S. will also lift previous restrictions on security coordination with Azerbaijan, which has faced scrutiny over its human rights record. “I’m very grateful to the President that he lifted the restrictions that had been imposed on Azerbaijan back in 1992,” said Aliyev.
According to Prime Minister Pashinyan’s spokesperson, Nazeli Baghdasaryan, his meeting with President Trump at the White House also resulted in the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding between the Governments of Armenia and the United States, aimed at deepening strategic cooperation in key areas:
* Partnership on developing capacities for the Crossroads of Peace project.
* Innovative partnership in the fields of artificial intelligence and semiconductors.
* Partnership in the field of energy security.
The EU has already welcomed the Washington meeting and the initialing of the Agreement on Peace and the Establishment of Interstate Relations, calling it a major step toward lasting peace in the region. Brussels stressed the importance of timely implementation and reiterated its readiness to support Armenia–Azerbaijan normalization through investment in regional connectivity and prosperity.
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