Trump Hails Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Progress, TRIPP Project
US President Donald Trump has highlighted what he described as sustained peace and stability in the South Caucasus during separate phone calls with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
The calls were held on Saturday, marking the first anniversary of the Washington summit where Armenia and Azerbaijan initialed a peace agreement and, together with Trump, signed a joint declaration aimed at ending decades of conflict.
During his conversation with Trump, Pashinyan expressed gratitude for the US president’s role in hosting the Aug. 8, 2025, summit in Washington and praised his personal efforts in advancing the peace process.
According to a statement from the Armenian prime minister’s office, the two leaders said the Washington summit had contributed to establishing a “real peace” between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which they said was now being experienced by people in both countries.
Trump and Pashinyan also discussed the progress of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a major regional connectivity initiative. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to launching construction of the project in the near future.
The Washington declaration was intended to bring an end to decades of hostilities between the two South Caucasus neighbors, including two major wars over the Karabakh region since the late 1980s. It included commitments to maintain peace, reopen transportation links and advance the normalization of bilateral relations.
Trump and Aliyev Discuss Regional Stability
Trump later spoke separately with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, with both leaders expressing satisfaction over developments since the Washington summit.
According to Azerbaijan’s presidency, Aliyev thanked Trump for hosting the summit and for his contribution to efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace between Baku and Yerevan.
Trump, meanwhile, praised Aliyev’s contribution to the peace process. The two leaders noted that peace and stability had been maintained across the region over the past year without incidents that could threaten the progress achieved.
The Azerbaijani statement also pointed to several developments in bilateral relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including Azerbaijani oil exports to Armenia, cargo transit through Azerbaijan to Armenia and the emergence of new trade ties.
Both leaders emphasized the importance of TRIPP for improving regional connectivity. Azerbaijan said construction work on the necessary transport infrastructure on its side was approaching completion, while the two presidents expressed hope that construction in Armenia would begin soon.
The conversation also covered broader Azerbaijan-US relations. Aliyev and Trump described the strategic partnership charter signed between Baku and Washington in February as a historic development, saying bilateral ties had reached a higher and more strategic level.
The two leaders also discussed the upcoming G20 leaders’ summit, scheduled to take place in Miami on Dec. 14-15. Aliyev thanked Trump for inviting him to the gathering, describing the invitation as a sign of Washington’s friendly approach toward Azerbaijan.
The latest discussions underline Washington’s continued engagement in the South Caucasus peace process, with regional connectivity and the implementation of the TRIPP initiative emerging as key elements of efforts to consolidate peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
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