
Trump to announce new peace agreement that includes the 'Trump Route'
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump will welcome leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to the White House on Aug. 8 to sign a peace agreement, after decades of conflict, that will reopen critical transportation access in the region, the White House said.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are expected to sign a joint declaration that establishes what will be known as the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity."
The 20-mile route, a key element in the deal, will be a multi-modal transit corridor through the South Caucasus connecting the two countries. The United States will have exclusive development rights along it.
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"By locking into this path to peace, we are unlocking the great potential of the South Caucasus region in trade, transit and energy flows," Anna Kelly, White House deputy press secretary, told reporters. "This president has yet again shown that we can move beyond longstanding conflicts of the past and move toward the future."
A senior Trump administration official said that the new Trump corridor will open trade and connectivity to Armenia, which has been effectively blocked from access along its border with Azerbaijan.
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Trump administration officials have quietly worked for months to secure an agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
"These two Nations have been at War for many years, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people," Trump said in an Aug. 7 post on his social media site Truth Social, lauding his victory. "Many Leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to 'TRUMP.'"
Additionally, Trump will sign agreements with leaders of both countries on energy, technology, economic cooperation, border security, infrastructure and trade with the United States. No additional details were provided.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds since the late 1980s when Nagorno-Karabakh ‒ an Azerbaijani region that had a mostly ethnic-Armenian population ‒ broke away from Azerbaijan with support from Armenia. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan won independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Contributing: Reuters
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
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