Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Agreement Brokered by the US
Why in the news
Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a peace agreement brokered by the United States, aimed at closing a conflict that had lasted nearly four decades, centred on Nagorno-Karabakh.
Key facts
- Both sides commit to respect territorial integrity, drop territorial claims, avoid force and follow international law.
- The US obtained exclusive development rights over a transit corridor named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, in the South Caucasus.
- India welcomed the deal because Armenia and Azerbaijan both lie on the INSTC, important for India-Russia trade.
About Nagorno-Karabakh
- A mountainous, landlocked area in the South Caucasus between the Black and Caspian seas.
- After Russia’s 1917 collapse both countries claimed it; a 1994 ceasefire left Armenian-backed control although it was internationally recognised as Azerbaijani.
- Azerbaijan retook it by force in 2023, displacing thousands of ethnic Armenians.
- India and Armenia have a 1995 Friendship and Cooperation Treaty.
Exam angle
- Map-based question: South Caucasus, between the Black and Caspian seas.
- Link India’s stand to INSTC connectivity.
- Note the corridor’s name and the US role as broker.