UN endorses US-brokered peace efforts in South Caucasus

The United Nations has welcomed the joint declaration signed in Washington by the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, with the participation of US President Donald Trump, describing it as a significant step toward normalising relations between Baku and Yerevan.

Speaking to journalists, UN Secretary-General’s spokesman Stéphane Dujarric recalled that the organisation had issued a statement over the weekend in response to the August 8 signing.

“The Secretary-General welcomes the comprehensive Joint Declaration signed on August 8 by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, with the participation of US President Donald Trump,” Dujarric said. “The Secretary-General commended their commitment to continuing dialogue and building trust, as well as Trump’s efforts in achieving this progress. He reaffirmed the UN’s strong support for all efforts to promote sustainable peace in the South Caucasus.”

The Washington summit, hosted by President Trump, brought together President Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan, who endorsed a seven-point framework stressing respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the renunciation of force.

As part of the event, the foreign ministers of both countries initialled a draft “Agreement on Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations,” with Trump, Aliyev, and Pashinyan present as witnesses. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed the development as a historic step toward lasting peace.

One of the agreement’s central elements is the creation of the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) — also called the Zangezur Corridor — a transit passage through Armenia’s Syunik province connecting mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave.

By Tamilla Hasanova