Pakistan welcomes Azerbaijan, Armenia peace accord, that upstages Russia

 Azerbaijan President ilham Aliyev with US President Donald Trump at the White House.(Azertac)

Pakistan has on Saturday welcomed a historic peace agreement signed between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia at the White House Summit under the auspices of U.S. President Donald J. Trump.

In a message Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif posted on social media platform X, he said the landmark development marks the dawn of a new era of peace, stability, and cooperation in the South Caucasus, a region that has endured decades of conflict and human suffering.

“We congratulate President Ilham Aliyev @presidentaz and the people of Azerbaijan on this historic agreement, that reflects wisdom, foresight and sagacity in charting a course for a peaceful future for their region. Pakistan has always stood by the brotherly nation of Azerbaijan and we stand with them at this proud moment of their history,” he added.

Reuters says the deal between the South Caucasus rivals - assuming it holds - would be a significant accomplishment for the Trump administration that is sure to rattle Moscow, which sees the region as within its sphere of influence.

"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, where he was flanked by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The Pakistani prime minister also appreciate the facilitation role of the United States, under President Donald Trump, in bringing the two sides together and securing an agreement that opens new avenues for trade, connectivity, and regional integration. It is our hope that this spirit of dialogue will serve as an example for other regions facing protracted conflicts.

Transit Country

“We are trying to become a stronger transit country,” said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in an interview with the Azerbaijani press in Washington.

“We want the corridors crossing our territory to be more engaged in cargo transportation. This brings money, jobs, and political leverage,” the head of state emphasized.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds since the late 1980s when Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous Azerbaijani region mostly populated by ethnic Armenians, broke away from Azerbaijan with support from Armenia. Azerbaijan took back full control of the region in 2023, prompting almost all of the territory's 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee to Armenia.

The agreement includes exclusive U.S. development rights to a strategic transit corridor through the South Caucasus that the White House said would facilitate greater exports of energy and other resources.

Trump said the United States signed separate deals with each country to expand cooperation on energy, trade and technology, including artificial intelligence. Details were not released.

The signing ceremony at the White House (Azertac)

First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva shared a post on her social media accounts regarding the agreement. She said: “….I congratulate our people on this historic occasion!

“May there always be peace! May Allah grant mercy to the heroic sons who reached the peak of martyrdom in the liberation of our lands! May Almighty Allah always protect our beloved Azerbaijan!”