ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump will host Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the White House on Friday for a “Historic Peace Summit.”

"These two Nations have been at War for many years, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people. Many Leaders have tried to end the War, with no success, until now, thanks to 'TRUMP'," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

Noting that his administration has been in contact with both sides for some time, he announced that the two leaders will attend an official "Peace Signing Ceremony."

"The United States will also sign Bilateral Agreements with both Countries to pursue Economic opportunities together, so we can fully unlock the potential of the South Caucasus Region," he added.

"I am very proud of these courageous Leaders for doing the right thing for the Great People of Armenia and Azerbaijan. It will be a Historic Day for Armenia, Azerbaijan, the United States, and, THE WORLD. See you then! DJT," he said.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991, when the Armenian military occupied Karabakh -- a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan -- and seven adjacent regions.

Most of the territory was liberated by Azerbaijan during a 44-day war in the fall of 2020, which ended after a Russian-brokered peace agreement that opened the door to normalization and demarcation talks.

In September 2023, Azerbaijan established full sovereignty in Karabakh after separatist forces in the region surrendered.

In March, the two countries declared that they had reached a consensus on all 17 articles of a peace deal, though it has yet to be signed.