Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI
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by Cosimo GrazianiWashington (Agenzia Fides) – “I congratulate Armenia and Azerbaijan, who have succeeded in signing the Joint Declaration of Peace.” With these words, Pope Leo XIV addressed the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, August 10, after the Marian Angelus prayer. The Pontiff was referring to the text signed two days earlier at the White House by both countries: a seven-point joint declaration aimed at regulating their future relations, with the prospect of reaching a definitive peace treaty. Leo XIV expressed his hope that this step “will contribute to a stable and lasting peace in the South Caucasus.”The agreement was mediated by the United States and saw the participation of President Donald Trump in the signing. It comes at a time when relations between the two Caucasian countries remain marked by the latest conflict in 2023, during which Baku regained control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.After Baku’s conquest of the region, Azerbaijan presented several demands to Armenia, including the amendment of the preamble to its Constitution, which contains territorial claims against Azerbaijan and Turkey. These demands have yet to be met. In March, the two countries had reached an agreement on a text regarding a peace treaty, but Baku had made the process conditional on compliance with the conditions set. In this context, Washington’s declaration is presented as a new stage in the process, even though it does not have the binding force of a treaty.Several analysts argue that this does not represent a substantial step forward in bilateral relations, precisely because of the provisional nature of the document. However, the text addresses one of the most sensitive issues: the management of the Zangezur Corridor, a strip of Armenian land that separates Azerbaijan from its its exclave, the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic. One of the points establishes the United States’ participation in the management of the corridor’s future infrastructure—a highway, a gas pipeline, and an oil pipeline—to connect the exclave with the rest of Azerbaijan. This exclusive management, for a period of ninety-nine years, would meet two key conditions: it would give Azerbaijan the connection between its territories and allow Prime Minister Pashinyan to affirm that the corridor’s sovereignty remains Armenian.The news of the provisional agreement has provoked immediate reactions from neighboring powers in the Caucasus, a region of great geopolitical value as it is a communications hub between East and West and shares borders with Turkey, Iran, and Russia. Although all three countries have welcomed the step taken by Yerevan and Baku, the possible entry of the United States into infrastructure management raises concerns. But in some cases, the interests of neighboring countries clash with the potential new American presence in the Caucasus in managing infrastructure.For Russia, the signing represents a further loss of influence in the Caucasus. Its role had already been weakened after the 2023 war, when Armenia accused Russian peacekeepers of failing to protect the population of Nagorno-Karabakh, despite their deployment since the end of the 2020 conflict. The document signed in Washington now makes the United States an unavoidable player in the region, forcing Moscow to take its positions into account in any future strategy.Iran is also watching the new scenario with concern. Tehran has supported Armenia in recent years in the debate over the Zangezur Corridor and believes that potential US management of the infrastructure located along its border could “destabilize the region,” according to statements by its Foreign Minister.For the United States, however, having brought Armenia and Azerbaijan to the same table constitutes a diplomatic victory that allows it to strengthen its presence in a strategic area crisscrossed by energy and transportation corridors linking Asia with Europe.The Zangezur Corridor is just 43 kilometers long, but its strategic value is enormous. The development of new infrastructure along this stretch would significantly shorten the current routes of the Middle Corridor, which runs from Central Asia through Azerbaijan, Georgia, and down to Turkey. In the long term, these connections could link China with Europe. Controlling this section, which reduces transit times, strengthens Washington’s strategic standoff with Beijing. In this sense, the Trump administration may consider that, with the signing of the agreement on August 8, it has gained ground in the geopolitical confrontation with China. (Agenzia Fides, 16/8/2025)
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