The US-brokered peace deal signed in Washington on Friday has formally ended decades of clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Opened the door to a new trade corridor linking Turkey to the Caspian.
President Donald Trump, who led the talks, said both nations must “focus on commerce, not conflict.”
US-brokered peace deal unlocks the ‘Trump Route’
Under the accord, Armenia will permit a 43.5-kilometre passage—dubbed the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity”—from mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan enclave on the Turkish border.
American firms will build and manage the corridor, which is expected to channel goods between Turkey, the Caucasus and Central Asia without touching Iranian or Russian soil.
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev called the agreement the start of a “strategic partnership” with Washington.
Armenian leaders, dropping long-held objections, said the economic upside outweighed security fears.
Trump added that a parallel technology pact will bring US artificial-intelligence investment to both countries.
Analysts say the link could steer billions of dollars in yearly trade away from routes that now run through Iran or the Russian rail network.
Tehran has condemned the plan, and Moscow has voiced concern over losing influence in the South Caucasus.
Turkey, already a key backer of Baku, hailed the route as a “win for regional integration.”
The two neighbours have fought on and off since the late 1980s, most recently in 2023 when Azerbaijan retook Nagorno-Karabakh.
US diplomats hope the deal will lock in calm by tying the rivals to shared economic gains—an approach Pakistani observers note has worked along parts of the Belt and Road.
Construction on the corridor is due to start within six months, with the first freight convoys expected by 2027 if political conditions hold.
