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US President Donald Trump is set to host Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the White House on Friday, August 8, for the signing of a memorandum of understanding, according to a report by UK-based Middle East Eye (MEE), citing regional sources.
The summit aims to mark a major diplomatic milestone, with the two leaders expected to sign a "letter of intent" rather than a finalized peace treaty, the report said. The agreement will reaffirm both countries' commitment to continued dialogue and the pursuit of peace, following decades of conflict over Karabakh.
MEE's Ragip Soylu reported that the meeting follows a July encounter in Abu Dhabi, where both leaders discussed the basic principles of a potential peace deal. However, negotiations have stalled due to Baku's demand that Yerevan amend its constitution to remove territorial references to Azerbaijan – a process that would require a referendum.
One of the key sticking points is the proposed Zangezur Corridor, intended to link mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through southern Armenian territory. Armenia opposes the term “Zangezur Corridor,” saying it implies irredentist claims over its Syunik province.
MEE also revealed that US Ambassador Thomas Barrack suggested a US company could lease and manage the corridor for 100 years to address both sides' concerns. Armenia reportedly rejected the idea, stating it would not lease sovereign land to a third country.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov informed Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan about the summit in a phone call on Monday, sources confirmed. Türkiye, a key ally of Azerbaijan, had previously proposed a neutral private operator to manage the corridor, though Armenia’s counter-demands led to an impasse.
The conflict traces back to the early 1990s, when Armenia occupied Karabakh, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. After a major offensive in 2020 and a final operation in September 2023, Azerbaijan regained full control of the territory.
The Armenian population fled, and the self-declared republic was formally dissolved on January 1, 2024.
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