BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 4. U.S. President
Donald Trump has shared
on Truth Social an article by U.S. Special Presidential Envoy Steve
Witkoff, published by the Washington Examiner, highlighting the
progress made toward peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the
past year.
In his
article, Witkoff noted that the first anniversary of the
signing of the Joint Declaration on Peace between Azerbaijan and
Armenia marks what he described as a major achievement that brought
an end to more than 35 years of bloodshed. “Thanks to President
Trump's bold and visionary leadership, today marks the one-year
anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration of Peace
between these two countries — a truly remarkable achievement. The
President broke through previous constraints, putting peace between
Azerbaijan and Armenia at the forefront,” Witkoff wrote.
He said U.S. engagement with Baku began with his visit to
Azerbaijan in March 2025, adding that it became clear after the
first contact that U.S.-Azerbaijan relations had not previously
received sufficient attention. According to Witkoff, Trump's
foreign policy approach is based on a willingness to engage
directly with different parties to advance U.S. interests,
including efforts to resolve protracted conflicts.
Witkoff also praised the role of Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev in the peace process, describing him as a strong and
decisive leader willing to take difficult but necessary steps to
achieve peace. “President Ilham Aliyev impressed us as someone who
understood both the interests of his country and the broader agenda
of regional stability. That visit convinced our team that progress
was possible,” he said.
According to Witkoff, one of the key practical issues was
ensuring Azerbaijan's unhindered access to Nakhchivan. He said the
issue had long been viewed solely as a zero-sum territorial
dispute, adding that resolving it required “fresh thinking,
creative solutions and, most importantly, leadership.”
Witkoff said Trump demonstrated such leadership by creating
conditions for the emergence of the TRIPP concept — a partnership
between the United States and Armenia to establish unobstructed
multimodal transport routes through Armenian territory while fully
respecting its territorial integrity and sovereignty. “Trump chose
practical results over a performative process, and that approach
paid off,” Witkoff said.
He added that over the past year, the United States had worked
with Armenia and Azerbaijan to implement the agreements reached,
expressing hope that the TRIPP route would eventually be connected
to the Caspian Sea and that the concept could later be expanded to
the Middle East. “In an era of complex conflicts unfolding
simultaneously across multiple regions, Trump remains uniquely
positioned to pursue peace and prosperity where others see only
dead ends. The South Caucasus is safer and more stable today
because Trump, Aliyev and Pashinyan chose results over rhetoric,”
Witkoff concluded.
