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AzerNEWS Staff

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has highlighted President Donald Trump’s role in advancing the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process as the landmark Washington summit that produced a breakthrough between the two countries reaches its first anniversary.

The historic meeting took place on August 8, 2025, when Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met Trump at the White House for a landmark peace summit.

The leaders signed a joint declaration aimed at ending decades of hostility and establishing a new framework for peaceful relations, sovereignty and territorial integrity between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The summit also saw the initialling of a proposed peace agreement between the two countries, marking a major step in efforts to resolve one of the South Caucasus’ longest-running conflicts.

The Trump administration has portrayed the Washington summit as a major diplomatic achievement, arguing that direct US engagement helped bring Baku and Yerevan closer after years of stalled negotiations.

Beyond the political settlement, the agreement has been linked to a broader regional economic agenda covering trade, transport, energy, infrastructure and technology.

A central element is the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a proposed connectivity initiative designed to strengthen economic links across the South Caucasus.

The route has emerged as one of the most consequential economic components of the Washington peace process, with its implementation potentially reshaping regional transport and trade networks.

In January 2026, Rubio and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan announced an implementation framework for TRIPP, providing a further institutional step towards developing the initiative.

As the Washington summit reaches its first anniversary, Rubio’s remarks underscore the Trump administration’s effort to place the Armenia-Azerbaijan breakthrough among the defining achievements of its foreign policy.

For Washington, the agreement represents more than a diplomatic settlement. The administration has presented it as a potential model for turning long-running geopolitical disputes into opportunities for regional connectivity, investment and economic cooperation.

The anniversary therefore comes at a critical moment for the peace process, with attention increasingly shifting from the diplomatic breakthrough achieved in Washington to the implementation of its commitments and the economic opportunities that could follow.