The historic meeting between Azerbaijan, the US, and Armenia has taken place, demonstrating a true victory of high-level diplomacy.

It heralds a profound shift in the political, economic, and strategic landscape of the entire South Caucasus region. The concurrent presence of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Washington created a dual diplomatic platform one that advances direct Baku-Washington ties alongside a parallel process of Baku-Yerevan negotiations.

The Joint Declaration signed by Azerbaijan, Armenia, and the United States in Washington is anything but a routine protocol. It represents a multilayered political and economic framework that sets a new regional balance of power, redefines the rules of engagement, and clearly delineates the roles of key external actors. Far from the product of a single negotiation round, this agreement serves as a long-term blueprint that integrates the South Caucasus more fully into the global political and economic system.

At the heart of this agreement lies the initialing of the text of a future peace treaty between Baku and Yerevan. While not the final signature, this step signifies that both parties have agreed on the treaty’s final wording and have moved beyond prior fundamental disagreements. The declaration’s acknowledgment of the “need for ratification” — tied explicitly to constitutional amendments in Armenia — enshrines one of Azerbaijan’s key strategic conditions and paves the way for formal legal closure of the conflict.

Another landmark clause is the joint call for the OSCE to cease the activities of the Minsk Group, a post-conflict mechanism whose political relevance has long faded. This move symbolically and practically closes a chapter on outdated mediation models, making room for new formats better suited to today’s realities.

reconnecting the region: the zangezur corridor and transport cooperation
Beyond politics, the agreement addresses vital infrastructure issues. It guarantees unhindered passage between Azerbaijan’s main territory and its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenian soil. This is not merely a logistical detail but a critical piece of a broader geoeconomic puzzle linking transport and energy corridors across the region. Physical connectivity, after all, underpins both political stability and the attractiveness of the region for........

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