Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and US President Donald Trump have signed a joint declaration on Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.
The document was signed in three copies during a trilateral meeting at the White House.
“It’s a long time – 35 years – they fought and now they’re friends, and they’re going to be friends for a long time,” Trump said at a signing ceremony at the White House.
“Armenia and Azerbaijan are committing to stop all fighting forever, open up commerce, travel and diplomatic relations and respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Trump said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called the joint declaration a “game-changing outcome,” heralding a new chapter “of peace, prosperity, security and economic cooperation in the South Caucasus.” He also cited the “blessed are the peacemakers” passage of the Bible in praising Trump for mediating the deal.
Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, praised President Trump for bringing the multi-decade conflict with Armenia closer to an end.
“If not for President Trump and his team,” he said, “probably today Armenia and Azerbaijan would have been again in this endless process of negotiations.”
Aliyev added, “President Trump brings peace to the Caucasus.”
