Reuters: Armenia, Azerbaijan to sign agreement – US to get transit corridor

The leaders of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev are expected to sign a peace agreement at the White House on August 8, which includes exclusive US rights to develop a strategic transit corridor through the South Caucasus. This was reported by Reuters. unofficial sources.

According to them, it will be a framework document aimed at achieving "a concrete path to peace" and solving the "long-standing transit problem." Azerbaijan has requested a transport corridor through Armenia that could connect most of the country's territory with the Nakhchivan enclave on the border with Turkey.

Officials noted that the sections of the document were carefully coordinated. Armenia intends to grant the United States exclusive preferential rights to develop a long-term transit corridor called the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).

According to officials, the route will be operated in accordance with Armenian law, and America will sublease the land to a consortium to provide infrastructure and management.

"Through commercial means, this step will unblock the region and prevent further military action," said one of the interlocutors .

A document is also expected to be signed requesting the dissolution of the Minsk Group, which was established in 1992 under the leadership of France, the United States and Russia to mediate the settlement of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

U.S. officials have suggested that the agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan could encourage the latter to conclude the Abrahamic Accords. These are agreements on normalization of relations that were concluded by US President. Donald Trump between Israel and four Muslim-majority countries during his first term.

• on March 13, it was reported that Azerbaijan and Armenia completed negotiations on the text of a peace agreement between the countries. Both sides confirmed this, but did not sign the document.
• On July 10, the leaders of both countries held another peace talks in the United Arab Emirates, however, no agreement was signed even then.
• The talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia took place against the backdrop of deteriorating relations between both countries and Russia, which in the past was a "mediator" in their conflict.
• The meeting of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House on August 8 was reported by WP on August 6.