8 August 2025, was widely regarded as one of the significant turning points in the political history of the South Caucasus, with implications of importance extending beyond the region. The meeting held in Washington with the participation of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev (pictured), President of the United States Donald Trump, and Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, as well as the Joint Declaration signed at the conclusion of the meeting, formally marked the transition of Azerbaijan-Armenia relations to a new stage. At the same time, the initialing of the text of the peace agreement and the agreements reached regarding the opening of regional communication routes laid the foundations for future co-operation, writes Mazahir Afandiyev, member of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
In general, Azerbaijan has consistently demonstrated not only a strong interest in contributing to the maintenance of international security, but also a commitment to fulfilling its obligations in this regard. In particular, following nearly three decades of inconclusive negotiations, Azerbaijan, as a responsible member state of the United Nations, independently ensured the implementation of the four relevant resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council in 2020. The decisive victory achieved in the Second Karabakh Patriotic War under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and President Ilham Aliyev, followed by the full restoration of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty in 2023, enabled the country to establish an entirely new political environment both in the South Caucasus and within the broader international political architecture.
It should be noted that on November 10, 2020, following Armenia’s official appeal to the Russian Federation, hostilities were brought to an end through the direct involvement of Russia and the agreement of the leaders of all three states. A first Declaration between Azerbaijan and Armenia, comprising nine provisions, was adopted, thereby bringing the military phase of the conflict to an end and formalizing Armenia’s capitulation.
Since that time, Azerbaijan has consistently articulated, at numerous bilateral and multilateral international meetings, its position that the time had come to achieve peace and initiate a new era of reconstruction and development in the region. The United States, the European Union, and Russia, which assumed mediating roles in this process, highly valued Azerbaijan’s efforts to promote political and economic stability in the South Caucasus and, consequently, its contribution to the broader process of strengthening the international political architecture.
As a result of the consistent and multi-vector foreign policy pursued by Azerbaijan, a seven-point Joint Declaration was ultimately signed on August 8, 2025, following the trilateral meeting between President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of the United States Donald Trump, and Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.
Today, one year after that historic event, the tangible outcomes of the understandings reached in Washington are becoming increasingly evident. The fact that Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan called President Ilham Aliyev on the first anniversary of the signing of the Washington Declaration was by no means coincidental. Over the course of the past year, the development of economic and trade relations, the expansion of transit opportunities, and the restoration of transportation and communication links have emerged as concrete indicators of the potential benefits that sustainable peace can generate for the economic development of the region.
During the telephone conversation, the leaders not only noted the progress achieved over the preceding year, but also placed particular emphasis on the role played by U.S. President Donald Trump and the U.S. administration in advancing the peace process. At the same time, a number of concrete issues relating to economic cooperation were discussed, including the export of Azerbaijani petroleum products to Armenia, transit freight transportation, and the implementation of the TRIPP route.
Thus, Azerbaijan, which has consistently advocated peace, security, and stability at the international level, continues, as it did a year earlier, to mobilize all available efforts toward the establishment of lasting peace in the South Caucasus and the further improvement of the welfare of the peoples of the region. In parallel, Azerbaijan continues to contribute to the expansion of regional opportunities in the fields of transportation, energy, trade, and investment, thereby supporting the emergence of a more interconnected, stable, and economically dynamic South Caucasus.
