Civilnet
By Siranush Adamyan
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan was nearly complete, attributing it in part to the diplomatic efforts of his administration.
“Armenia and Azerbaijan. We worked magic there and it’s pretty close – if not, it’s already done,” Trump told Republican senators at a dinner on Friday evening.
His remarks come amid heightened scrutiny over a U.S. proposal to lease a 32-kilometer road through Armenia’s Syunik province – a plan floated as a solution to the stalled negotiations over transit access between Azerbaijan and its Nakhichevan exclave.
The proposed arrangement would see a U.S.-based commercial entity manage the route for up to 100 years, under the guise of neutral oversight. U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack confirmed the idea last week, saying the goal was to enable both sides to share the road while sidestepping regional “tribalism.”
Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan himself acknowledged that proposals had been received from Washington, but underscored that the route’s ownership would remain with Armenia. He floated the idea of an Armenian-registered operator company managing the infrastructure, possibly with international participation – but strictly under Armenian jurisdiction.
Also read: Pashinyan does not rule out outsourcing management of Syunik route
The corridor concept, often promoted by Baku and Ankara, remains a flashpoint. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has demanded an extraterritorial link to Nakhichevan, while Iran has warned against any plan that undermines regional borders.
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