The Armenia-Azerbaijan peace pact signed in August 2025 marks a historic milestone aimed at ending nearly four decades of violent conflict rooted in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. The roots of this long-standing dispute trace back to the late 1980s, when the Soviet Union was collapsing. The Nagorno-Karabakh region, mostly inhabited by ethnic Armenians, wanted to break away and join Armenia, while Azerbaijan insisted it was their sovereign land. This disagreement led to a brutal war in the early 1990s, causing many people to lose their homes and lives. A shaky ceasefire held for a while, but fighting would flare up from time to time, culminating in Azerbaijan taking back control of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023.
Against this painful history, the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Pact felt like a fresh breath of hope. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev came together at the White House, with the U.S. President hosting the momentous signing. Both sides committed to ending the violence once and for all, respecting each other’s borders, and opening up diplomatic and economic ties to build a better future.
A new chapter:
A standout part of Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Pact was the creation of a special transit corridor through southern Armenia, connecting Azerbaijan to its exclave, Nakhchivan. This corridor, with U.S. involvement in its development, promises to boost trade and regional cooperation. It’s designed not just to ease transport but to help heal old wounds by encouraging collaboration between neighbors.
Leaders on both sides celebrated the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Pact as a hopeful new chapter. Pashinyan called it a victory for peace, while Aliyev even suggested nominating the U.S. President for a Nobel Peace Prize. The international community welcomed this breakthrough, seeing it as a chance to bring stability to a region that has seen too much hardship. Nevertheless, challenges remain, with some neighboring countries wary of the new corridor and the shifting geopolitical landscape.
All in all, this peace agreement isn’t just about maps and politics — it’s about people’s hopes for safety, rebuilding their communities, and forging a future where cooperation replaces conflict. It’s a difficult journey ahead, but one filled with the promise of healing and new beginnings.